Vulnerability in Apache Log4j
CVE-2026-49844
Improper encoding of non-finite floating-point values during MapMessage JSON serialization in Apache Log4j API produces output that is not valid JSON. This issue affects Apache Log4j API versions 2.13.1 through 2.25.4 and version 2.26.0. The fix for CVE-2026-34481 did not cover all code paths: when a MapMessage contains a non-finite IEEE 754 value (NaN, Infinity, or -Infinity), MapMessage.asJson() emits the corresponding bare token. RFC 8259 does not permit these tokens, so a conformant parser rejects the resulting document. The defect is reachable only when both of the following conditions hold: * The application uses the message resolver https://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/manual/json-template-layout.html#event-template-resolver-message of JsonTemplateLayout or any other layout that relies on MapMessage.asJson() or MapMessage.getFormattedMessage(new String[]{"JSON"}). * The application logs a MapMessage that contains an attacker-controlled floating-point value. An attacker who can supply a non-finite value can cause the affected layout to emit malformed JSON, which may corrupt the enclosing log record or disrupt downstream log ingestion and parsing. Users are advised to upgrade to Apache Log4j API 2.25.5 or 2.26.1, both of which emit RFC 8259-compliant JSON for non-finite values.
EPSS: 0.008 (54.2th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.9 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
Affected products
- Apache Log4j — versions 2.26.0, 3.0.0
- Apache Software Foundation Log4j Api — versions 2.13.1, 2.26.0, 3.0.0-alpha1
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- security@apache.org (related, Product)
- security@apache.org (Patch, patch, Issue Tracking)
- security@apache.org (vendor-advisory, Vendor Advisory)
- security@apache.org (vendor-advisory, Vendor Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-49844?
- CVE-2026-49844 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Log4j, classified under Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output. CVSS score: 5.9/10. Published 2026-07-10.
- How severe is CVE-2026-49844?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.9 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2026-49844 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.