CVE-2026-92230 Apache Software Foundation CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for Apache Karaf instances, DevOps teams, and security teams should assess exposure and prioritize patching. They should review instance configurations, monitor performance, and verify affected versions to prevent potential denial of service. Security teams should also track exceptions and retest remediated assets to ensure the vulnerability is fully addressed.

Why it matters

CVE-2026-92230 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Karaf that can lead to denial of service. Defenders should prioritize verifying and patching instances.

• Potential denial of service due to unbounded Metaspace growth
• Need to verify and patch Apache Karaf instances to prevent exploitation
• Requires monitoring instance performance and memory usage

Technical summary

Apache Karaf's XmlUtils cached XML parser/transformer factories in static ThreadLocal fields on long-lived container threads, leading to unbounded Metaspace growth and eventual denial of service. This vulnerability affects Apache Karaf instances, and defenders should prioritize verifying and patching instances to prevent potential denial of service. The vulnerability is caused by repeated bundle or feature install, update, or refresh operations that leave successive bundle ClassLoader's pinned in memory and unreachable for garbage collection.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying and patching Apache Karaf instances to prevent potential denial of service.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify Apache Karaf instance configurations and versions
• Patch or update Apache Karaf instances to prevent denial of service
• Monitor instance performance and memory usage for signs of Metaspace growth
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability, but additional verification is needed to confirm affected versions and remediation. Defenders should verify Apache Karaf instance configurations, review vendor guidance, and monitor instance performance for signs of Metaspace growth. Evidence from [email protected] indicates potential denial of service due to unbounded Metaspace growth. Further review of instance configurations and performance metrics is necessary to assess exposure and prioritize patching.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.