CVE-2026-61466: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pwwh-3685-58r7
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CVSS 9.1
CWE-304
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-61466 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.1) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product implements an authentication technique, but it skips a step that weakens the technique.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-61466 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-61466
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pwwh-3685-58r7
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.1
CWE Classification CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.1

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:H/I:N/A:H).

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 High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-61466

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

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

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-61466, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

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

Note: The mvn dependency:tree 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-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication, where the product implements an authentication technique, but it skips a step that weakens the technique. In Software, 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

In Apache CXF's OAuth2 Dynamic Client Registration endpoint, the authorization server accepts and stores the `scope` value supplied in the client registration request verbatim, without validating it against an AS-defined allowlist. This could lead to a client self-assigning privileged scopes at registration time. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.3 or 4.1.8 or 3.6.12, which fix this issue.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-61466 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61466
lists.apache.org/thread/2l1r16g79tpx... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/2l1r16g79tpxd7fzrzr2q9oscwrjgljs
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/06/21

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-61466?
CVE-2026-61466 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-61466?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-61466?
CVE-2026-61466 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-61466?
CVE-2026-61466 is classified under CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication (The product implements an authentication technique, but it skips a step that weakens the technique.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-61466?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. 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-pwwh-3685-58r7",
  "modified" : "2026-08-07T00:31:10Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-06T12:31:14Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-61466" ],
  "details" : "In Apache CXF's OAuth2 Dynamic Client Registration endpoint, the authorization server accepts and stores the `scope` value supplied in the client registration request verbatim, without validating it against an AS-defined allowlist. This could lead to a client self-assigning privileged scopes at registration time. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.3 or 4.1.8 or 3.6.12, which fix this issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61466"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/2l1r16g79tpxd7fzrzr2q9oscwrjgljs"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/06/21"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-304" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-06T12:16:27Z"
  }
}