CVE-2026-62379: OpenAM Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wg5r-wc3x-39vc
CVSS 9.8
CWE-470 CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-62379 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection')) affecting OpenAM libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves unauthenticated remote code execution via class.forname in authxmlutils.createcustomcallback. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 16.1.2.

CVE-2026-62379 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-62379
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wg5r-wc3x-39vc
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection')
Affected Product OpenAM
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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:H/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 High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-62379

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected OpenAM 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.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-core fixed: 16.1.2
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.openidentityplatform.openam</groupId>
    <artifactId>openam-core</artifactId>
    <version>16.1.2</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.openidentityplatform.openam

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-62379, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openidentityplatform.openam

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of OpenAM in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 16.1.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openidentityplatform.openam 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-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection'), where the product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code. In OpenAM, 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

## Summary A pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability affects OpenAM. The remote authentication endpoint (`/authservice`, PLL) accepts an XML element that names an arbitrary Java class, which the server then loads and instantiates without validation. On a default configuration this is reachable **without authentication** and allows an attacker to run code on the server. ## Impact Unauthenticated remote code execution / full server compromise on any OpenAM instance with default settings. ## Affected All releases up to and including 16.1.1 (the defect predates the Open Identity Platform fork). ## Remediation Upgrade to `16.1.2`. The fix resolves the class named in a `<CustomCallback>` element without running its static initialisers and rejects it unless it implements `DSAMECallbackInterface`, and it constrains deserialisation of the serialised `Subject` value to a class allowlist. ## Interim mitigation If you cannot upgrade immediately: - **Restrict or block external network access to `/authservice`.** This is the only reliable mitigation. - Optionally, **block PLL requests carrying a `<CustomCallback className="...">` element** at the reverse proxy or WAF. That element is only produced for custom `DSAMECallbackInterface` callbacks, so most deployments never send it — confirm against your own traffic before enforcing. - **Enabling `sunRemoteAuthSecurityEnabled` does *not* mitigate this issue.** The remote-auth security token is checked in `AuthXMLHandler.processAuthXMLRequest`, which runs only after `AuthXMLRequest.parseXML` has already parsed the request and instantiated the class named in the `<CustomCallback className="...">` element. Do not rely on it as a substitute for upgrading or for network restriction. ## Credit Vulnerability discovered by Zhixi "Jace" Sun of ASM/VI at TikTok. Correction of the interim mitigation guidance contributed by @BarakSrour.

CVE-2026-62379 Affected OpenAM Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
16.1.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-core
Maven
< 16.1.2
16.1.2

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-62379?
CVE-2026-62379 is a security vulnerability in OpenAM involving Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution via Class.forName in AuthXMLUtils.createCustomCallback under CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection').
Which OpenAM versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 16.1.2 across affected packages: org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-core.
What version fixes CVE-2026-62379?
Upgrading to 16.1.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openam-core affected?
Yes, org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-core is affected in releases prior to 16.1.2. Upgrade your dependency to 16.1.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-62379?
CVE-2026-62379 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-62379?
CVE-2026-62379 is classified under CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection') (The product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-62379?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openidentityplatform.openam'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-wg5r-wc3x-39vc",
  "modified" : "2026-08-03T20:44:06Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-24T21:11:09Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-62379" ],
  "summary" : "OpenAM: Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution via Class.forName in AuthXMLUtils.createCustomCallback",
  "details" : "## Summary\nA pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability affects OpenAM. The\nremote authentication endpoint (`/authservice`, PLL) accepts an XML element\nthat names an arbitrary Java class, which the server then loads and\ninstantiates without validation. On a default configuration this is reachable\n**without authentication** and allows an attacker to run code on the server.\n\n## Impact\nUnauthenticated remote code execution / full server compromise on any OpenAM\ninstance with default settings.\n\n## Affected\nAll releases up to and including 16.1.1 (the defect predates the Open Identity\nPlatform fork).\n\n## Remediation\nUpgrade to `16.1.2`. The fix resolves the class named in a `<CustomCallback>`\nelement without running its static initialisers and rejects it unless it\nimplements `DSAMECallbackInterface`, and it constrains deserialisation of the\nserialised `Subject` value to a class allowlist.\n\n## Interim mitigation\nIf you cannot upgrade immediately:\n\n- **Restrict or block external network access to `/authservice`.** This is the\n  only reliable mitigation.\n- Optionally, **block PLL requests carrying a `<CustomCallback className=\"...\">`\n  element** at the reverse proxy or WAF. That element is only produced for custom\n  `DSAMECallbackInterface` callbacks, so most deployments never send it — confirm\n  against your own traffic before enforcing.\n- **Enabling `sunRemoteAuthSecurityEnabled` does *not* mitigate this issue.** The\n  remote-auth security token is checked in `AuthXMLHandler.processAuthXMLRequest`,\n  which runs only after `AuthXMLRequest.parseXML` has already parsed the request\n  and instantiated the class named in the `<CustomCallback className=\"...\">`\n  element. Do not rely on it as a substitute for upgrading or for network\n  restriction.\n\n## Credit\nVulnerability discovered by Zhixi \"Jace\" Sun of ASM/VI at TikTok.\nCorrection of the interim mitigation guidance contributed by @BarakSrour.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "16.1.2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 16.1.1"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenIdentityPlatform/OpenAM/security/advisories/GHSA-wg5r-wc3x-39vc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenIdentityPlatform/OpenAM/commit/edcf968cad91a78b932dba4ad559ef94cbf35f5a"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenIdentityPlatform/OpenAM"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenIdentityPlatform/OpenAM/releases/tag/16.1.2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-470", "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-24T21:11:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}