CVE-2026-48043: netty-codec-http2: ByteBuf Reference-Count Leak in DelegatingDecompressorFrameListener Leads to Memory Exhaustion
(updated )
The DelegatingDecompressorFrameListener class orchestrates HTTP/2 decompression by embedding a per-stream EmbeddedChannel that runs the appropriate decompression codec (gzip, deflate, zstd) and forwards decompressed chunks to a wrapped listener. Each decompressed chunk is a pooled ByteBuf handed to an anonymous ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter tail handler, which becomes the sole owner responsible for releasing it.
A remote peer could send frames that would result in the flow-controller throwing and so trigger a resource leak which at the end might take down the whole JVM due OOME.
References
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:26017
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:26018
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:26586
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:34608
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36820
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37390
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-48043
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2488442
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-c2gf-v879-257j
- github.com/netty/netty/releases/tag/netty-4.1.135.Final
- github.com/netty/netty/releases/tag/netty-4.2.15.Final
- github.com/netty/netty/security/advisories/GHSA-c2gf-v879-257j
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48043
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-48043.json
Code Behaviors & Features
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