CVE-2026-56819: Netty: HTTP/2 decompression leaks ByteBuf reference count when the decompressor channel is already closed (Direct memory leak / OOM DoS)
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 30/100)
- Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.66% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 52.2% of all records.
- 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.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- Fixed version: io.netty:netty-codec-http2 (Maven) 4.1.136.Final, 4.2.16.Final; netty (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 4.1.136-1.1; netty-tcnative (SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7) 2.0.80-150200.3.48.1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to io.netty:netty-codec-http2 (Maven) 4.1.136.Final, 4.2.16.Final; netty (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 4.1.136-1.1; netty-tcnative (SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7) 2.0.80-150200.3.48.1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. In versions 4.2.0.Final through 4.2.15.Final and 4.1.0.Final through 4.1.135.Final, a remote unauthenticated peer can leak one direct `ByteBuf` per HTTP/2 `DATA` frame in applications that enable HTTP/2 content decompression via `DelegatingDecompressorFrameListener`. When a `DATA` frame is processed for a stream whose decompressor has already been closed, `Http2Decompressor.decompress(...)` calls `decompressor.writeInbound(data.retain())` and does not release the retained buffer on the error path, eventually exhausting direct memory and crashing the JVM. This issue is fixed in versions 4.1.136.Final and 4.2.16.Final.
- Published
- Jul 21, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 30, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.6% · 52th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-400
Report tools
Action score
30
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.6%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 7.5
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| netty | netty | cpe:2.3:a:netty:netty |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- netty netty4.1.0 and later · before 4.1.136
- netty netty4.2.0 and later · before 4.2.16
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.
netty netty
- >= 4.2.0.Final, < 4.2.16.Final, >= 4.1.0.Final, < 4.1.136.Finalaffected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | netty | from 0 | — |
| Maven | io.netty:netty-codec-http2 | from 4.1.0.Final · before 4.1.136.Final | 4.1.136.Final |
| Maven | io.netty:netty-codec-http2 | from 4.2.0 · before 4.2.16.Final | 4.2.16.Final |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | netty | before 4.1.136-1.1 | 4.1.136-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 | netty-tcnative | before 2.0.80-150200.3.48.1 | 2.0.80-150200.3.48.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP7 | netty | before 4.1.136-150200.4.53.1 | 4.1.136-150200.4.53.1 |
Same product
netty: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-47691Netty has Insufficient Bailiwick Validation for NS Records40Plan
- CVE-2026-45674Netty Vulnerable to DNS Cache Poisoning via Missing Bailiwick Checks in CNAME Records40Plan
- CVE-2019-20445HttpObjectDecoder.java in Netty before 4.1.44 allows a Content-Length header to be accompanied by a second Content-Length header, or by a…40Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-56816Jul 21, 2026 · Netty: Memory Exhaustion via HTTP/3 Reserved Frame Types30Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-56817Jul 21, 2026 · Netty: XML External Entity (XXE) injection via unconfigured XML factory when DTD and entity processing are enabled33Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-56820Jul 21, 2026 · Netty: Missing CertificateID Validation in OCSP Response Allows Replay Attacks36Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Maven:io.netty:netty-codec-http2 | 4.1.136.Final | Package registry (OSV) |
| Maven:io.netty:netty-codec-http2 | 4.2.16.Final | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:netty | 4.1.136-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:netty | 4.1.136-150200.4.53.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:netty-tcnative | 2.0.80-150200.3.48.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Proof of concept available
A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.
Evidence
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2026-09-05 |
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.
- Published
- First PoC+45 d
- TodayNov 12, 2026+114 d
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.
- CVE-2026-558510 days apartNetty codec-haproxy: Signed-Byte Sentinel Collision in HAProxyMessageDecoder Leads to Unbounded Memory Exhaustion34Monitor
- CVE-2026-567450 days apartNetty SpdyHttpDecoder: ByteBuf Reference Leak on RST_STREAM Leads to Native Memory Exhaustion34Monitor
- CVE-2026-10066167 days apartNetty HTTP/3 QPACK Prefixed Integer DoS via Unbounded Accumulation34Monitor
- CVE-2026-10066267 days apartNetty HTTP/3 QPACK encoder-stream unbounded memory exhaustion DoS34Monitor
- CVE-2026-568160 days apartNetty: Memory Exhaustion via HTTP/3 Reserved Frame Types30Monitor
- CVE-2026-558311 days apartNetty SPDY SETTINGS frame count materializes unbounded settings map30Monitor
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-400 · Uncontrolled Resource ConsumptionCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-secondary
Root cause
Code that parses nested structures sets no depth or size limit. A small input can turn into a disproportionate processing load.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-400 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
function expand(node) {
return node.children.map(expand);
}Fixed
const MAX_DEPTH = 32;
function expand(node, depth = 0) {
if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) throw new Error("too deep");
return node.children.map((c) => expand(c, depth + 1));
}Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
Show all references (3 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.