CVE-2026-54251: CWE-664: Improper Control of a Resource Through its Lifetime in netty netty-incubator-codec-ohttp
netty-incubator-codec-ohttp implements Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP) gateway and client functionality using Netty. Prior to 0.0.23.Final, the OHTTP gateway decryption path in codec-ohttp/src/main/java/io/netty/incubator/codec/ohttp/OHttpRequestResponseContext.java allocates a pooled direct ByteBuf for decrypted plaintext before the AEAD tag is verified. When an invalid tag causes decryptChunk() to throw CryptoException, OHttpRequestResponseContext.decodeChunk() does not release the ByteBuf because the allocation is not guarded by try/finally. Repeated invalid encrypted requests can therefore leak native off-heap memory until the gateway is unable to continue serving requests. This issue is fixed in version 0.0.23.Final.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability in netty-incubator-codec-ohttp versions before 0.0.23.Final occurs in the OHTTP gateway decryption path. When decrypting encrypted requests, the code allocates a pooled direct ByteBuf for decrypted plaintext before verifying the AEAD tag. If the tag is invalid, decryptChunk() throws a CryptoException, but the allocated ByteBuf is not released because the allocation is not protected by a try/finally block. Repeated invalid encrypted requests cause native off-heap memory to leak, eventually exhausting memory and causing the gateway to fail to serve requests. The flaw is addressed in version 0.0.23.Final by ensuring proper resource release.
Potential Impact
An attacker can cause the OHTTP gateway to leak native off-heap memory by sending repeated invalid encrypted requests. This memory leak can exhaust the gateway's resources, leading to denial of service by preventing it from processing legitimate requests. There is no indication of privilege escalation or data disclosure from this vulnerability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade netty-incubator-codec-ohttp to version 0.0.23.Final or later, where the issue is fixed. No other mitigation is indicated or required.
CVE-2026-54251: CWE-664: Improper Control of a Resource Through its Lifetime in netty netty-incubator-codec-ohttp
Description
netty-incubator-codec-ohttp implements Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP) gateway and client functionality using Netty. Prior to 0.0.23.Final, the OHTTP gateway decryption path in codec-ohttp/src/main/java/io/netty/incubator/codec/ohttp/OHttpRequestResponseContext.java allocates a pooled direct ByteBuf for decrypted plaintext before the AEAD tag is verified. When an invalid tag causes decryptChunk() to throw CryptoException, OHttpRequestResponseContext.decodeChunk() does not release the ByteBuf because the allocation is not guarded by try/finally. Repeated invalid encrypted requests can therefore leak native off-heap memory until the gateway is unable to continue serving requests. This issue is fixed in version 0.0.23.Final.
CVSS v4.0
Score 8.7high
Affected software
netty
netty-incubator-codec-ohttp
io.netty.incubator
netty-incubator-codec-ohttp
pkg:maven/io.netty/netty-incubator-codec-ohttpRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in netty-incubator-codec-ohttp versions before 0.0.23.Final occurs in the OHTTP gateway decryption path. When decrypting encrypted requests, the code allocates a pooled direct ByteBuf for decrypted plaintext before verifying the AEAD tag. If the tag is invalid, decryptChunk() throws a CryptoException, but the allocated ByteBuf is not released because the allocation is not protected by a try/finally block. Repeated invalid encrypted requests cause native off-heap memory to leak, eventually exhausting memory and causing the gateway to fail to serve requests. The flaw is addressed in version 0.0.23.Final by ensuring proper resource release.
Potential Impact
An attacker can cause the OHTTP gateway to leak native off-heap memory by sending repeated invalid encrypted requests. This memory leak can exhaust the gateway's resources, leading to denial of service by preventing it from processing legitimate requests. There is no indication of privilege escalation or data disclosure from this vulnerability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade netty-incubator-codec-ohttp to version 0.0.23.Final or later, where the issue is fixed. No other mitigation is indicated or required.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-12T16:25:43.085Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6aa9812f55bf5e2cf527c2d0
Added to database: 09/15/2026, 17:32:31 UTC
Last enriched: 09/15/2026, 17:46:47 UTC
Last updated: 09/15/2026, 17:48:26 UTC
Views: 5
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