Is CVE-2026-33701 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2026-33701 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2026-33701 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2026-33701 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-33701?

CVE-2026-33701 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

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CRITICAL

CVE-2026-33701

CWE-502Published: March 27, 2026· Updated: Apr 1, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

EPSS:0.50%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:66.0th

Official Description

OpenTelemetry Java Instrumentation provides OpenTelemetry auto-instrumentation and instrumentation libraries for Java. In versions prior to 2.26.1, the RMI instrumentation registered a custom endpoint that deserialized incoming data without applying serialization filters. On JDK version 16 and earlier, an attacker with network access to a JMX or RMI port on an instrumented JVM could exploit this to potentially achieve remote code execution. All three of the following conditions must be true to exploit this vulnerability: First, OpenTelemetry Java instrumentation is attached as a Java agent (`-javaagent`) on Java 16 or earlier. Second, JMX/RMI port has been explicitly configured via `-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port` and is network-reachable. Third, gadget-chain-compatible library is present on the classpath. This results in arbitrary remote code execution with the privileges of the user running the instrumented JVM. For JDK >= 17, no action is required, but upgrading is strongly encouraged. For JDK < 17, upgrade to version 2.26.1 or later. As a workaround, set the system property `-Dotel.instrumentation.rmi.enabled=false` to disable the RMI integration.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-33701 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-502): Insecure deserialization vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious objects during deserialization, potentially enabling remote code execution.