netty-codec-http2: ByteBuf Reference-Count Leak in DelegatingDecompressorFrameListener Leads to Memory Exhaustion
CVE-2026-48043
What is CVE-2026-48043?
Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. In netty-codec-http2 prior to versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final, 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. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue.
Affected Version(s)
netty >= 4.2.0.Final, < 4.2.15.Final < 4.2.0.Final, 4.2.15.Final
netty < 4.1.135.Final < 4.1.135.Final