---
id: "CVE-2026-90436"
page: "https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-90436"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-90436"]
title: "Apache Axis 1.x: inbound SOAP faults let unauthenticated remote class loading run code"
severity: "critical"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["apache-axis", "java", "package", "self-hosted", "soap"]
not_affected_if: ["axis-2-in-use", "no-axis-1-jar"]
published_at: "2026-11-06T16:18:59+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-06T16:42:42+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-06T16:44:56+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90436", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-06T16:42:42+00:00"}]
exploit_sources: []
---

# Apache Axis 1.x: inbound SOAP faults let unauthenticated remote class loading run code

Link for people: https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-90436 (this .md is for agents)

Apache Axis 1.x parses SOAP fault messages and loads a class named in the fault, then instantiates it through a String constructor, before any service authentication runs. With a suitable class on the classpath, an unauthenticated remote attacker can achieve remote code execution.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Look for Apache Axis 1.x jars (axis.jar) in the application's classpath or WEB-INF/lib, for example with `find / -name axis*.jar 2>/dev/null`
- Confirm the version: all Axis 1.x releases through `1.4` are affected

## Fix

- Apache Axis 1.x through `1.4`: no release fixes this; the Apache project recommends migrating to Apache Axis 2/Java
- Alternative stated by the source: build Axis with the patch from https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/41f3b4e8d04e310ca81f86b92630ab2c11d608bd applied

## Timeline

- 2026-11-06T16:42:42+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90436

## Documents

- [fix] Patch: github.com https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/41f3b4e8d04e310ca81f86b92630ab2c11d608bd

## From the sources

** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** Deserialization of an inbound SOAP fault in Apache Axis 1.x allows unauthenticated remote class instantiation. When a SOAP <Fault> carries a <detail><exceptionName> element, Axis loads the named class and, if a String <data> element is also present, instantiates it through its String constructor before checking that it is an AxisFault. Loading alone runs the class's static initializer. With a suitable class on the application's classpath this leads to remote code execution. The fault is parsed while the engine resolves the target service, before any per-service handler chain runs, so authentication handlers configured on a service do not protect against it. This affects all Apache Axis 1.x versions through 1.4.



As Axis 1 has been EOL we recommend you migrate to a different SOAP engine, such as Apache Axis 2/Java. Alternatively you could use a build of Axis with the patch from https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/41f3b4e8d04e310ca81f86b92630ab2c11d608bd applied. The Apache Axis project does not expect to create an Axis 1.x release fixing this problem.

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