CVE-2026-42404: Neethi Apache Neethi Doesn't Impose Any Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-287c-fxr7-3w6c
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-918
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-42404 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) apache neethi doesn't impose any vulnerability (CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)) affecting Neethi libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache neethi doesn't impose any restrictions on uris when manually fetching remote policy references through the policyreference api. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.2.2.

CVE-2026-42404 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-42404
GHSA Identifier GHSA-287c-fxr7-3w6c
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Affected Product Neethi
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-42404

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Neethi dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.neethi:neethi fixed: 3.2.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.neethi</groupId>
    <artifactId>neethi</artifactId>
    <version>3.2.2</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.neethi

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-42404, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.neethi

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Neethi in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.2.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.neethi command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF), where the web server receives a url or similar request from an upstream component and retrieves the contents of this url, but it does not sufficiently ensure that the request is being sent to the expected destination. In Neethi, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Apache Neethi does not impose any restrictions on URIs when manually fetching remote policy references through the PolicyReference API. When an application explicitly calls the API to retrieve a policy from a remote URI, an outbound request is made for arbitrary protocols and internal IP adddresses. From 3.2.2, only http or https URIs are allowed, and link-local/multicast/any-local addresses are forbidden. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.

CVE-2026-42404 Affected Neethi Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.2.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.neethi:neethi
maven/org.apache.neethi/neethi
Maven
< 3.2.2
3.2.2

References

NVD — CVE-2026-42404 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42404
Neethi Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/ws-neethi
lists.apache.org/thread/zdspnt64zzny... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/zdspnt64zznyjyn648553kptx69w23oq
Neethi Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/01/8

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42404?
CVE-2026-42404 is a security vulnerability in Neethi involving Apache Neethi doesn't impose any restrictions on URIs when manually fetching remote policy references through the PolicyReference API under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF).
Which Neethi versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.2.2 across affected packages: org.apache.neethi:neethi.
What version fixes CVE-2026-42404?
Upgrading to 3.2.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is neethi affected?
Yes, org.apache.neethi:neethi is affected in releases prior to 3.2.2. Upgrade your dependency to 3.2.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-42404?
CVE-2026-42404 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-42404?
CVE-2026-42404 is classified under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (The web server receives a URL or similar request from an upstream component and retrieves the contents of this URL, but it does not sufficiently ensure that the request is being sent to the expected destination.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-42404?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.neethi'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-287c-fxr7-3w6c",
  "modified" : "2026-05-07T02:54:54Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-01T12:30:24Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-42404" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Neethi doesn't impose any restrictions on URIs when manually fetching remote policy references through the PolicyReference API",
  "details" : "Apache Neethi does not impose any restrictions on URIs when manually fetching remote policy references through the PolicyReference API. When an application explicitly calls the API to retrieve a policy from a remote URI, an outbound request is made for arbitrary protocols and internal IP adddresses. From 3.2.2, only http or https URIs are allowed, and link-local/multicast/any-local addresses are forbidden.\n\nUsers are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.neethi:neethi"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.2.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42404"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/ws-neethi"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/zdspnt64zznyjyn648553kptx69w23oq"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/01/8"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-918" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-07T02:54:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-01T11:16:19Z"
  }
}