cpp-httplib: Use-after-free of TLS session in WebSocketClient::shutdown_and_close()
cpp-httplib is a C++ header-only HTTP/HTTPS library. In versions 0.33.0 through 0.50.0, the TLS-enabled WebSocket client frees the TLS session before closing the WebSocket that still uses it, producing a use-after-free. In WebSocketClient::shutdown_and_close the SSL object is freed and the pointer cleared, but the subsequent WebSocket close still sends a close frame through the SSL socket stream, which holds a raw copy of the now-dangling session pointer and reads from and writes to the freed memory. The same freed-then-used ordering is reachable through the client's destructor and its connect path, so ordinary teardown of a secure WebSocket connection triggers the defect. This issue is fixed in version 0.50.1.
- Published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 36th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-416
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Report tools
Action score
32
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 32 / 40 · 8.2 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 8.2
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
yhirose cpp-httplib
- >= 0.33.0, < 0.50.affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | cpp-httplib | all versions | — |
Same product
yhirose: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-45372cpp-httplib: HTTP header value percent-decoding in server-side `parse_header` enables CRLF injection39Monitor
- CVE-2025-66570cpp-httplib Untrusted HTTP Header Handling: Internal Header Shadowing (REMOTE*/LOCAL*)39Monitor
- CVE-2026-46527cpp-httplib: Malicious `X-Forwarded-For` Under Trusted-Proxy Configuration Triggers Empty `vector::front()`, Leading to Undefined Behavior and Server Crash34Monitor
- CVE-2026-22776cpp-httplib vulnerable to a denial of service (DOS) using a zip bomb34Monitor
- CVE-2026-32627cpp-httplib has a Silent TLS Certificate Verification Bypass on HTTPS Redirect via Proxy32Monitor
- CVE-2020-11709cpp-httplib through 0.5.8 does not filter \r\n in parameters passed into the set_redirect and set_header functions, which creates possibilit31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| yhirose cpp-httplib | 0.50.1 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-416 · Use After FreeCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Root cause
After a memory region is freed, another reference pointing to it is still used. By then, the same region may have been allocated for different data.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-416 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
free(dev->buf);/* ... another thread is still running ... */process(dev->buf);Fixed
lock(&dev->lock);free(dev->buf);dev->buf = NULL;unlock(&dev->lock);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- github.com/yhirose/cpp-httplib/commit/2f986fd5e56e7c5f686d965174516360930f371d
- github.com/yhirose/cpp-httplib/security/advisories/GHSA-w7p7-f35j-mw7q
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.