In the WSS4J streaming (StAX) code, a signature reference using the WS-Security STR-Transform leaves an internal "inside signed content" flag permanently set. The WS-SecurityPolicy enforcer uses that flag to decide whether an element needs checking, so it stops evaluating SignedParts and SignedElements for the rest of the message. A policy requiring the SOAP Body to be signed is then satisfied even when the Body carries no signature, removing the protection against XML Signature Wrapping. Signature verification itself is unaffected. The DOM code is not affected. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.0.2 or 3.0.6 or 2.4.4 which fix this issue.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from apache organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2026, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2026-09-30T13:17:21.710
2026-10-06T17:22:23.020
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 7.5 (HIGH)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | apache | wss4j | < 2.4.4 | Yes |
| Application | apache | wss4j | < 3.0.6 | Yes |
| Application | apache | wss4j | < 4.0.2 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For apache's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.