High Severity Authentication Bypass Vulnerability in Apache HttpClient
Summary
CSIRT-ITA has issued a high-severity alert for CVE-2026-40542, an authentication bypass vulnerability in Apache HttpClient affecting versions 5.6.x prior to 5.6.1. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to circumvent authentication mechanisms. Affected organizations are advised to apply the latest security patches from the manufacturer immediately. The alert carries a medium system impact score of 63.2.
“Tale vulnerabilità, qualora sfruttata, potrebbe consentire ad un utente malintenzionato di eludere i meccanismi di autenticazione.”
Organizations running Java applications with Apache HttpClient 5.6.x in production should audit their dependency trees and prioritize updating to version 5.6.1. Given the authentication bypass classification, applications relying on HttpClient for secure API communication, OAuth flows, or authenticated HTTP requests face the highest risk — these deployments should be treated as priority patching targets.
About this source
GovPing monitors Italy CSIRT Advisories for new data privacy & cybersecurity regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 18 changes logged to date.
What changed
CSIRT-ITA published a high-severity security advisory alerting organizations to an authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-40542) in Apache HttpClient versions 5.6.x prior to 5.6.1. The vulnerability, if exploited, could allow a malicious actor to circumvent authentication mechanisms in applications using the library. Organizations using Apache HttpClient should immediately identify affected deployments and apply the patched version 5.6.1. Failure to patch leaves applications vulnerable to authentication bypass attacks, potentially exposing protected resources or functions.
What to do next
- Apply the latest security patches provided by the manufacturer
Archived snapshot
Apr 27, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Vulnerabilità in Apache HttpClient
**
Alert**
AL01/260423/CSIRT-ITA
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Sintesi
Rilevata nuova vulnerabilità con gravità “alta” in Apache HttpClient, consolidata libreria per gestire comunicazioni HTTP in Java. Tale vulnerabilità, qualora sfruttata, potrebbe consentire ad un utente malintenzionato di eludere i meccanismi di autenticazione.
Tipologia
- Authentication Bypass
Prodotti e/o versioni affette
Apache HttpClient
- 5.6.x, versioni precedenti alla 5.6.1
Azioni di mitigazione
Ove non già provveduto, si raccomanda l'applicazione delle patch di sicurezza più recenti fornite dal produttore.
CVE (1)
Cerca:
| CVE | POC | EXPLOITATION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CVE-2026-40542 | - | - |
Riferimenti (2)
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40542
- https://github.com/apache/httpcomponents-client/commit/726eac2323d370435d8afca1e0540aa099927f18
Change log
| Versione | Note | Data |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Pubblicato il 23-04-2026 | 23/04/2026 |
Impatto sistemico
Medio (63.2)
Argomenti
Data pubblicazione
23/04/26 ore 10:27
Data Ultimo Aggiornamento
23/04/26 ore 10:27
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Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from CSIRT-ITA.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
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