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CVE-2023-45142· NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib has DoS vulnerability in otelhttp due to unbound cardinality metrics

OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib is a collection of third-party packages for OpenTelemetry-Go. A handler wrapper out of the box adds labels `http.user_agent` and `http.method` that have unbound cardinality. It leads to the server's potential memory exhaustion when many malicious requests are sent to it. HTTP header User-Agent or HTTP method for requests can be easily set by an attacker to be random and long. The library internally uses `httpconv.ServerRequest` that records every value for HTTP `method` and `User-Agent`. In order to be affected, a program has to use the `otelhttp.NewHandler` wrapper and not filter any unknown HTTP methods or User agents on the level of CDN, LB, previous middleware, etc. Version 0.44.0 fixed this issue when the values collected for attribute `http.request.method` were changed to be restricted to a set of well-known values and other high cardinality attributes were removed. As a workaround to stop being affected, `otelhttp.WithFilter()` can be used, but it requires manual careful configuration to not log certain requests entirely. For convenience and safe usage of this library, it should by default mark with the label `unknown` non-standard HTTP methods and User agents to show that such requests were made but do not increase cardinality. In case someone wants to stay with the current behavior, library API should allow to enable it.

HighCVSS 7.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Oct 12, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
1.4% · 71th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

30

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.4%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.5
CNA · GitHub_M
7.5
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
opentelemetryopentelemetry

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • opentelemetry opentelemetrybefore 0.44.0

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.

  • open-telemetry opentelemetry-go-contrib

    • < 0.44.0affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Gogithub.com/prometheus/client_golangbefore 1.11.11.11.1
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/astaxie/beego/otelbeegofrom 0.38.0 · before 0.39.00.39.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/emicklei/go-restful/otelrestfulbefore 0.44.00.44.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gin-gonic/gin/otelginbefore 0.44.00.44.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gorilla/mux/otelmuxbefore 0.44.00.44.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/labstack/echo/otelechobefore 0.44.00.44.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/gopkg.in/macaron.v1/otelmacaronbefore 0.44.00.44.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptracebefore 0.44.00.44.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttpfrom 0.38.0 · before 0.39.00.39.0
Gogo.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttpbefore 0.44.00.44.0
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcaddybefore 2.7.6-1.12.7.6-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcontainerdbefore 1.7.21-1.11.7.21-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweeddockerbefore 26.1.5_ce-2.126.1.5_ce-2.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedgolang-github-prometheus-prometheusbefore 2.53.0-3.12.53.0-3.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedteleportbefore 14.1.1-1.114.1.1-1.1
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8cephbefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-ansiblebefore 0:6.0.28.8-1.el8cp0:6.0.28.8-1.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-basebefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-base-debuginfobefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-commonbefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-common-debuginfobefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-debugsourcebefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-fusebefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp
Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8ceph-fuse-debuginfobefore 2:16.2.10-266.el8cp2:16.2.10-266.el8cp

+96

Same product

opentelemetry: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-29181OpenTelemetry-Go multi-value `baggage` header extraction causes excessive allocations (remote dos amplification)
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2023-47108DoS vulnerability in otelgrpc (uncontrolled resource consumption) due to unbound cardinality metrics
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2023-43810opentelemetry-instrumentation Denial of Service vulnerability due to unbound cardinality metrics
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2026-39883OpenTelemetry-Go has an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-24051: BSD kenv command not using absolute path enables PATH hijacking
    29Monitor
  • CVE-2026-24051OpenTelemetry-Go Affected by Arbitrary Code Execution via PATH Hijacking
    28Monitor
  • CVE-2026-41078OpenTelemetry dotnet: Potential memory exhaustion via unbounded pooled-list sizing in Jaeger exporter conversion path
    23Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Go:github.com/prometheus/client_golang1.11.1Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/astaxie/beego/otelbeego0.39.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/emicklei/go-restful/otelrestful0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gin-gonic/gin/otelgin0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gorilla/mux/otelmux0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/labstack/echo/otelecho0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/gopkg.in/macaron.v1/otelmacaron0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp0.39.0Package registry (OSV)
Go:go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp0.44.0Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:caddy2.8.4-bp155.2.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:containerd1.7.21-150000.117.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:docker26.1.5_ce-150000.212.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:golang-github-prometheus-prometheus2.45.6-150100.4.20.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:spacecmd5.0.9-150000.3.124.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-base2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-base-debuginfo2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-common2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-common-debuginfo2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-debugsource2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-fuse-debuginfo2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-grafana-dashboards2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-immutable-object-cache-debuginfo2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-mds-debuginfo2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-mgr2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ceph-mgr-cephadm2:16.2.10-266.el8cp · Red Hat:ceph_storage:5.3::el8Package registry (OSV)
suse:caddy2.8.4-bp155.2.3.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP5Package registry (OSV)
suse:containerd1.7.21-150000.117.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3Package registry (OSV)
suse:containerd1.7.21-16.94.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 12Package registry (OSV)

+10

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.

EPSS, last 120 days

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 researchers

Finders, 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.

  • CVE-2023-4710829 days apartDoS vulnerability in otelgrpc (uncontrolled resource consumption) due to unbound cardinality metrics
    30Monitor

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
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-770 · Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; 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 help

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records