CVE-2026-49268: Apache Shiro LDAP DN Injection Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x96m-rh44-vgv8
Share
CWE-90
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-49268 is a HIGH ldap dn injection vulnerability (CWE-90: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection')) affecting Apache Shiro libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves ldap dn injection in defaultldaprealm. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.2.1, 3.0.0-alpha-2.

CVE-2026-49268 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-49268
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x96m-rh44-vgv8
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-90: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection')
Affected Product Apache Shiro
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-49268

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Apache Shiro 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.shiro:shiro-core fixed: 2.2.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.shiro</groupId>
    <artifactId>shiro-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.1</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.shiro:shiro-core fixed: 3.0.0-alpha-2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.shiro</groupId>
    <artifactId>shiro-core</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.0-alpha-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.shiro

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-49268, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Apache Shiro in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.2.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro 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-90: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an ldap query using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended ldap query when it is sent to a downstream component. In Apache Shiro, 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

A remote attacker can inject LDAP special characters into the Distinguished Name (DN) construction in DefaultLdapRealm class. User-supplied username input is directly concatenated into the LDAP DN template without any escaping of RFC 2253 special characters. This allows an attacker to manipulate the DN structure used for LDAP bind authentication, potentially bypassing authentication or impersonating other users. This issue affects all Apache Shiro versions through 2.2.0, and 3.0.0-alpha-1 when using DefaultLdapRealm Upgrade to Apache Shiro 2.2.1 or 3.0.0-alpha-2 or later, which fixes the issue.

CVE-2026-49268 Affected Apache Shiro Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.2.13.0.0-alpha-2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.shiro:shiro-core
maven/org.apache.shiro/shiro-core
Maven
< 2.2.1
2.2.1
org.apache.shiro:shiro-core
maven/org.apache.shiro/shiro-core
Maven
≥ 3.0.0-alpha-0
< 3.0.0-alpha-2
3.0.0-alpha-2

References

NVD — CVE-2026-49268 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49268
Apache Shiro Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/shiro
lists.apache.org/thread/svszql3od8td... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/svszql3od8td7hn6conyj2oq70v53b5s
Apache Shiro Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/17/8

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-49268?
CVE-2026-49268 is a security vulnerability in Apache Shiro involving LDAP DN Injection in DefaultLdapRealm under CWE-90: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection').
Which Apache Shiro versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.2.1, 3.0.0-alpha-2 across affected packages: org.apache.shiro:shiro-core.
What version fixes CVE-2026-49268?
Upgrading to 2.2.1, 3.0.0-alpha-2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is shiro-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.shiro:shiro-core is affected in releases prior to 2.2.1, 3.0.0-alpha-2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.1, 3.0.0-alpha-2 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-49268?
CVE-2026-49268 is classified under CWE-90: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an LDAP query using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended LDAP query when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-49268?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro'. 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-x96m-rh44-vgv8",
  "modified" : "2026-06-18T14:37:08Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-17T18:35:55Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-49268" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Shiro: LDAP DN Injection in DefaultLdapRealm",
  "details" : "A remote attacker can inject LDAP special characters into the Distinguished Name (DN) construction in DefaultLdapRealm class. User-supplied username input is directly concatenated into the LDAP DN template without any escaping of RFC 2253 special characters. This allows an attacker to manipulate the DN structure used for LDAP bind authentication, potentially bypassing authentication or impersonating other users.\n\nThis issue affects all Apache Shiro versions through 2.2.0, and 3.0.0-alpha-1 when using DefaultLdapRealm\nUpgrade to Apache Shiro 2.2.1 or 3.0.0-alpha-2 or later, which fixes the issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/S:P/AU:Y/R:A/RE:L/U:Red"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.shiro:shiro-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.shiro:shiro-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0-alpha-0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.0-alpha-2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49268"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/shiro"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/svszql3od8td7hn6conyj2oq70v53b5s"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/17/8"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-90" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-18T14:37:08Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-17T14:17:56Z"
  }
}