CVE-2026-89238
Apache WSS4J: WSS4J EncryptedHeader child confusion causing wrong protected-header selection
Description
WSS4J EncryptedHeader child confusion could promote an attacker-controlled plaintext element as the decrypted header, leading to incorrect confidentiality coverage and possible policy bypass. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.0.2 or 3.0.6 or 2.4.4, which fix this issue.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 30, 2026, 1:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Oct. 6, 2026, 5:26 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | CRITICAL | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 |
Solution
- Upgrade to WSS4J version 4.0.2 or later.
- Apply version 3.0.6 or later for older branches.
- Use version 2.4.4 or later for specific needs.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-89238.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/1lv4hpl8kon1ns5txjnhn2m2sh9rl22w | Vendor Advisory Mailing List |
| http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/30/11 | Mailing List Third Party Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-89238 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-89238
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-89238 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-89238 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Oct. 06, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:apache:wss4j:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 2.4.4 *cpe:2.3:a:apache:wss4j:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 3.0.0 up to (excluding) 3.0.6 *cpe:2.3:a:apache:wss4j:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 4.0.0 up to (excluding) 4.0.2 Added Reference Type Apache Software Foundation: https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/1lv4hpl8kon1ns5txjnhn2m2sh9rl22w Types: Mailing List, Vendor Advisory Added Reference Type CVE: http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/30/11 Types: Mailing List, Third Party Advisory -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Sep. 30, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N Added CWE CWE-345 Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-89238', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'yes'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-09-30T19:49:38.121856Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Sep. 30, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description WSS4J EncryptedHeader child confusion could promote an attacker-controlled plaintext element as the decrypted header, leading to incorrect confidentiality coverage and possible policy bypass. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.0.2 or 3.0.6 or 2.4.4, which fix this issue. Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/89xxx/CVE-2026-89238.json">CVE-2026-89238</a> Added Reference https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/1lv4hpl8kon1ns5txjnhn2m2sh9rl22w -
CVE Modified by af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Sep. 30, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/30/11