Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- A structured source references public exploit or proof-of-concept material.
- EPSS is 0.37% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-86512High confidence
java-json-tools json-patch Copy Move Operations CopyOperation.java MoveOperation.apply access control
java-json-tools · json-patch
5.3MediumCVSS 4.0
Patch only the product branches with a verified fix
Fix availability varies by productMedium technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 7 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:High, raised one band.upgradedsince 9 Sep 2026
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
- Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs java-json-tools json-patch and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Remediation availability differs by product scope
Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 7 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.
- Red Hat Product Security: 7 affected or under-investigation product states without a fixed product state in the same current advisory
Direct vendor intelligence
1 currentAuthoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories
Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.
CVE-2026-86512 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securitycom.github.java-json-tools/json-patch: java-json-tools json-patch: Improper Access Control in Copy/Move Operations
The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat build of Apicurio Registry 3
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat build of Debezium 3
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat Build of Keycloak
- keycloak/rhbk-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Build of Keycloak
- rhbk/keycloak-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Build of Keycloak
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat build of Quarkus
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat Fuse 7
- Summary
- A flaw was found in java-json-tools json-patch. This vulnerability, located in the CopyOperation.apply and MoveOperation.apply functions, allows for improper access controls. A remote attacker could exploit this to potentially perform unauthorized operations, leading to impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
- Remediation
- There is no official patch available for this vulnerability. Until a fix is released, administrators can implement the following mitigations to reduce the risk of access control bypass attacks: 1. Implement strict path validation before applying JSON Patch operations. Maintain an allowlist of permitted source and destination paths, and reject any patch operations that reference paths outside the allowlist. This prevents unauthorized copy/move operations on restricted data. 2. For applications using JSON Patch on user-modifiable data, implement an additional access control layer that validates whether the authenticated user has permission to read from the source path and write to the destination path before applying copy or move operations. 3. Avoid using JSON Patch for operations on security-sensitive data structures such as user permissions, roles, privileges, or access control lists. Use dedicated, validated APIs for these operations instead. 4. In multi-tenant environments, ensure tenant isolation is enforced at a layer above the JSON Patch processing, preventing cross-tenant path access even if the json-patch library allows it. 5. Apply the principle of least privilege to JSON document structures. Separate sensitive data into distinct documents or services that are not accessible via JSON Patch operations. 6. Monitor for suspicious JSON Patch operations, particularly copy and move operations that reference unusual paths or attempt to access administrative or system paths. 7. Where possible, restrict JSON Patch processing to authenticated and trusted sources only. Implement rate limiting and logging for all JSON Patch operations to detect potential exploitation attempts. 8. Consider migrating to alternative, actively maintained JSON manipulation libraries such as Jackson JSON or JSON-P (Java EE standard) that may have more robust access control implementations. Continue to monitor for updates from the json-patch project maintainers and apply patches when they become available.
Medium technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 7 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.
Fix availability varies by product01
What, why and how
A vulnerability was identified in java-json-tools json-patch up to 1.13. This affects the function CopyOperation.apply/MoveOperation.apply of the file src/main/java/com/github/fge/jsonpatch/CopyOperation.java of the component Copy Move Operations. The manipulation leads to improper access controls. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. The project was informed of the problem early through an issue report but has not responded yet.
What
A vulnerability was identified in java-json-tools json-patch up to 1.13. This affects the function CopyOperation.apply/MoveOperation.apply of the file src/main/java/com/github/fge/jsonpatch/CopyOperation.java of the component Copy Move Operations. The manipulation leads to improper access controls. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. The project was informed of the problem early through an issue report but has not responded yet.
Why
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
A vulnerability was identified in java-json-tools json-patch up to 1.13. This affects the function CopyOperation.apply/MoveOperation.apply of the file src/main/java/com/github/fge/jsonpatch/CopyOperation.java of the component Copy Move Operations. The manipulation leads to improper access controls. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. The project was informed of the problem early through an issue report but has not responded yet.
Why
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material Reference recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.CISA Vulnrichment records proof-of-concept exploitation in its SSVC data. BlackTree has not independently executed or validated exploit material.
- Likely attack path
- a network path → Improper Access Control → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low: a basic authenticated account is required
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
- Security boundary
- Not a CVSS 4.0 base metric
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-284 ↗
CWE-284: Improper Access Control. The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:PCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 4.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.ATNoneAttack requirements: No additional deployment or execution condition is required.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.VCLowVulnerable-system confidentiality: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.VILowVulnerable-system integrity: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.VALowVulnerable-system availability: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.SCNoneSubsequent-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SINoneSubsequent-system integrity: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SANoneSubsequent-system availability: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Fix availability varies by product
- Affected
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat build of Apicurio Registry 3
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat build of Debezium 3
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat Build of Keycloak
- keycloak/rhbk-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Build of Keycloak
- rhbk/keycloak-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Build of Keycloak
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat build of Quarkus
- json-patch as a component of Red Hat Fuse 7
- Action
- Use the product-specific evidence above. Patch only products with a verified fixed release, and keep every affected or under-investigation state without a matching fix in the remediation queue.
- Workaround
- There is no official patch available for this vulnerability. Until a fix is released, administrators can implement the following mitigations to reduce the risk of access control bypass attacks: 1. Implement strict path validation before applying JSON Patch operations. Maintain an allowlist of permitted source and destination paths, and reject any patch operations that reference paths outside the allowlist. This prevents unauthorized copy/move operations on restricted data. 2. For applications using JSON Patch on user-modifiable data, implement an additional access control layer that validates whether the authenticated user has permission to read from the source path and write to the destination path before applying copy or move operations. 3. Avoid using JSON Patch for operations on security-sensitive data structures such as user permissions, roles, privileges, or access control lists. Use dedicated, validated APIs for these operations instead. 4. In multi-tenant environments, ensure tenant isolation is enforced at a layer above the JSON Patch processing, preventing cross-tenant path access even if the json-patch library allows it. 5. Apply the principle of least privilege to JSON document structures. Separate sensitive data into distinct documents or services that are not accessible via JSON Patch operations. 6. Monitor for suspicious JSON Patch operations, particularly copy and move operations that reference unusual paths or attempt to access administrative or system paths. 7. Where possible, restrict JSON Patch processing to authenticated and trusted sources only. Implement rate limiting and logging for all JSON Patch operations to detect potential exploitation attempts. 8. Consider migrating to alternative, actively maintained JSON manipulation libraries such as Jackson JSON or JSON-P (Java EE standard) that may have more robust access control implementations. Continue to monitor for updates from the json-patch project maintainers and apply patches when they become available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 8 Sept 2026 · Last source change 9 Sept 2026, 15:23 UTC · CWE-284 · Improper Access Control
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-09
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-72613
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD not scheduled
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.CNA ↗
- Before
- 1.0; 1.1; 1.2; 1.3; 1.4; 1.5; 1.6; 1.7 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
- After
- json-patch: 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
- Public exploit evidencePublic exploit evidence changed from No public exploit to Public exploit reference.CVE.org ↗
- Before
- No public exploit
- After
- Public exploit reference
- ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2026-72613 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.ENISA EUVD ↗
- Before
- not recorded
- After
- {"euvdId":"EUVD-2026-72613"}
- Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.CNA ↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.