The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-24489 affects the Python HTTP client 'gakido', a tool designed for browser impersonation and anti-bot evasion. Prior to version 0.1.1, gakido improperly handled CRLF sequences in HTTP header names and values supplied by users. Specifically, it failed to neutralize carriage return (\r), line feed (\n), and null byte (\x00) characters, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers into outbound requests. This form of HTTP header injection can lead to request smuggling, response splitting, or manipulation of downstream systems that rely on the integrity of HTTP headers. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-93 (Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences) and CWE-113 (Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers). The fix implemented in version 0.1.1 introduces a sanitization function that strips these control characters from both header names and values before inclusion in HTTP requests, effectively mitigating the injection risk. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium), reflecting the vulnerability's impact on integrity without affecting confidentiality or availability, and its ease of exploitation without privileges or user interaction. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability poses a risk in environments where gakido is used to craft HTTP requests, particularly in automated or security-sensitive contexts.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability lies in the potential manipulation of HTTP requests generated by gakido, which could be used to bypass security controls, manipulate web application behavior, or interfere with downstream services relying on HTTP headers. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or availability, it undermines the integrity of HTTP communications, which could facilitate further attacks such as cache poisoning, session fixation, or cross-site scripting if combined with other vulnerabilities. Organizations using gakido for automated web scraping, penetration testing, or bot evasion may inadvertently send malformed or malicious requests, potentially triggering security alerts or causing unintended side effects. The lack of authentication or user interaction requirements increases the risk of automated exploitation in environments where vulnerable versions are deployed. Given the growing reliance on Python-based tools in European cybersecurity and development sectors, the vulnerability could affect a range of industries including finance, telecommunications, and government services that utilize gakido or similar HTTP clients.

The primary mitigation is to upgrade gakido to version 0.1.1 or later, which includes the fix that sanitizes header inputs by removing CR, LF, and null byte characters. Organizations should audit their use of gakido to identify any instances of versions prior to 0.1.1 and update them promptly. Additionally, review any custom code or wrappers around gakido that handle HTTP headers to ensure they do not reintroduce injection risks. Implement input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data used in HTTP headers, regardless of the client library. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) or intrusion detection systems (IDS) capable of detecting anomalous HTTP header patterns indicative of injection attempts. Monitor network traffic for unusual or malformed HTTP requests that could signal exploitation attempts. Finally, maintain an inventory of Python tools and dependencies to facilitate rapid vulnerability assessment and patch management.