Apache CXF: Authentication bypass via weak cache keys for validated STS tokens
Apache CXF's STSTokenValidator and Security Token Service (STS) cached validated security tokens under a non-cryptographic 32-bit hash of the token (Java Arrays.hashCode/hashCode()), and treated a cache hit as proof that the presented token had already been validated. An attacker could craft a token (for example a UsernameToken or a self-signed SAML Assertion) whose hash collides with a cached entry. The token would then be accepted without password validation, signature trust verification or a call to the STS. This could let the attacker authenticate as another user and, through STS token validation or renewal, obtain STS-signed tokens for that identity. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.4 or 4.1.9 or 3.6.13, which fix this issue.
- Products
- Not specified
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- Not specified
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-97468
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 7 Nov 2026, 06:53 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
Apache CXF: Authentication bypass via weak cache keys for validated STS tokens
core-osv · Original sourcePublished 9 Oct 2026, 10:18 UTC
Apache CXF's STSTokenValidator and Security Token Service (STS) cached validated security tokens under a non-cryptographic 32-bit hash of the token (Java Arrays.hashCode/hashCode()), and treated a cache hit as proof that the presented token had already been validated. An attacker could craft a token (for example a UsernameToken or a self-signed SAML Assertion) whose hash collides with a cached entry. The token would then be accepted without password validation, signature trust verification or a call to the STS. This could let the attacker authenticate as another user and, through STS token validation or renewal, obtain STS-signed tokens for that identity. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.4 or 4.1.9 or 3.6.13, which fix this issue.
osv:CVE-2026-97468
Complete source record
{
"id": "094ba40aa806b739f50d085813d6d58eca91ce7056f3e6370d3990ce8c792b67",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97468",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "Apache CXF: Authentication bypass via weak cache keys for validated STS tokens",
"summary": "Apache CXF's STSTokenValidator and Security Token Service (STS) cached validated security tokens under a non-cryptographic 32-bit hash of the token (Java Arrays.hashCode/hashCode()), and treated a cache hit as proof that the presented token had already been validated. An attacker could craft a token (for example a UsernameToken or a self-signed SAML Assertion) whose hash collides with a cached entry. The token would then be accepted without password validation, signature trust verification or a call to the STS. This could let the attacker authenticate as another user and, through STS token validation or renewal, obtain STS-signed tokens for that identity. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.4 or 4.1.9 or 3.6.13, which fix this issue.",
"evidence": "osv:CVE-2026-97468",
"products": [],
"severity": "critical",
"structured": {
"id": "CVE-2026-97468",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-97468"
],
"metrics": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
}
],
"affected": [
{
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"type": "GIT",
"events": [
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{
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],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-97468.json"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:49.987974962Z",
"provider": "osv",
"references": [
"https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2",
"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97468.json",
"https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/qthbnsyhqsxhl9p2h9v5dg4mnwv1b9r6",
"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97468"
],
"provider_metadata": {
"cna_assigner": "apache",
"unresolved_ranges": [
{
"extracted_events": [
{
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},
{
"fixed": "4.2.4"
},
{
"introduced": "4.0.0"
},
{
"fixed": "4.1.9"
},
{
"fixed": "3.6.13"
}
],
"source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
"strategy": "StandardRange"
}
]
}
],
"osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97468.json"
}
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2026-97468",
"evidence": "/id"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 518554,
"published_at": "2026-10-09T10:18:56.568+00:00"
}