CVE-2026-64610 in Kylin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2026
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Apache Kylin. Unsafe Java deserialization could happen from a broken external cache service.
This issue affects Apache Kylin: from 4 through 5.0.4.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 5.0.5, which fixes the issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2026
Apache Kylin versions ranging from 4 through 5.0.4 contain a critical security flaw related to the deserialization of untrusted data. This vulnerability stems from an unsafe Java deserialization process that occurs when interacting with external cache services. In many enterprise environments, Apache Kylin relies on distributed caching mechanisms such as Redis or Memcached to optimize query performance and manage state across cluster nodes. When these cache services are compromised or misconfigured, they can serve as a vector for injecting malicious serialized objects into the application stream. The core technical flaw lies in the lack of strict validation or filtering of data retrieved from these external sources before it is processed by Java's native ObjectInputStream mechanism. This allows an attacker to craft specially formatted payloads that exploit known deserialization gadgets within the Java runtime environment, leading to arbitrary code execution on the server hosting Kylin.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for organizations relying on Apache Kylin for business intelligence and data warehousing tasks. Successful exploitation could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the application process. This compromises not only the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Kylin service itself but also poses significant risks to the underlying infrastructure. An attacker gaining control over the server can pivot to other systems within the network, exfiltrate sensitive analytical data stored in connected databases, or use the compromised node as a foothold for further lateral movement. The risk is particularly acute because cache services are often considered less secure than primary application servers due to their frequent exposure and simpler authentication models, making them attractive targets for initial access.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which describes Deserialization of Untrusted Data, a category of flaws where an application deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently verifying that the resulting data will be valid. Furthermore, from the perspective of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this flaw facilitates techniques associated with Initial Access and Execution, specifically leveraging trusted software vulnerabilities or command-line interface execution via injected payloads. The attack vector typically involves manipulating the cache service to return a malicious serialized object, which is then processed by Kylin during routine operations such as query optimization or state synchronization. This bypasses traditional perimeter defenses because the traffic appears legitimate within the internal network architecture.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must immediately upgrade Apache Kylin to version 5.0.5 or later, where the deserialization logic has been hardened to prevent the execution of untrusted objects. In addition to upgrading, it is crucial to review and harden the configuration of external cache services used by Kylin. This includes ensuring that only trusted sources can write to the cache, implementing strong authentication mechanisms for cache connections, and isolating cache servers on separate network segments if possible. Security teams should also monitor application logs for unusual deserialization errors or unexpected process spawns, which may indicate an attempted exploitation of this vulnerability. Regular patching cycles and strict adherence to version control policies are essential to maintaining the security posture of big data analytics platforms like Apache Kylin against evolving threats targeting Java-based applications.