CVE-2023-37276: aiohttp vulnerable to HTTP request smuggling
Impact
aiohttp v3.8.4 and earlier are bundled with llhttp v6.0.6 which is vulnerable to CVE-2023-30589. The vulnerable code is used by aiohttp for its HTTP request parser when available which is the default case when installing from a wheel.
This vulnerability only affects users of aiohttp as an HTTP server (ie aiohttp.Application), you are not affected by this vulnerability if you are using aiohttp as an HTTP client library (ie aiohttp.ClientSession).
Reproducer
python from aiohttp import web
async def example(request: web.Request): headers = dict(request.headers) body = await request.content.read() return web.Response(text=f"headers: {headers} body: {body}")
app = web.Application() app.addroutes([web.post('/', example)]) web.runapp(app)
Sending a crafted HTTP request will cause the server to misinterpret one of the HTTP header values leading to HTTP request smuggling.
console $ printf "POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: localhost:8080\r\nX-Abc: \rxTransfer-Encoding: chunked\r\n\r\n1\r\nA\r\n0\r\n\r\n" \ | nc localhost 8080
Expected output: headers: {'Host': 'localhost:8080', 'X-Abc': '\rxTransfer-Encoding: chunked'} body: b''
Actual output (note that 'Transfer-Encoding: chunked' is an HTTP header now and body is treated differently) headers: {'Host': 'localhost:8080', 'X-Abc': '', 'Transfer-Encoding': 'chunked'} body: b'A'
Patches
Upgrade to the latest version of aiohttp to resolve this vulnerability. It has been fixed in v3.8.5: pip install aiohttp >= 3.8.5
Workarounds
If you aren't able to upgrade you can reinstall aiohttp using AIOHTTPNOEXTENSIONS=1 as an environment variable to disable the llhttp HTTP request parser implementation. The pure Python implementation isn't vulnerable to request smuggling:
console $ python -m pip uninstall --yes aiohttp $ AIOHTTPNOEXTENSIONS=1 python -m pip install --no-binary=aiohttp --no-cache aiohttp
References
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-30589 https://hackerone.com/reports/2001873
Other sources
aiohttp is an asynchronous HTTP client/server framework for asyncio and Python. aiohttp v3.8.4 and earlier are bundled with llhttp v6.0.6. Vulnerable code is used by aiohttp for its HTTP request parser when available which is the default case when installing from a wheel. This vulnerability only affects users of aiohttp as an HTTP server (ie aiohttp.Application), you are not affected by this vulnerability if you are using aiohttp as an HTTP client library (ie aiohttp.ClientSession). Sending a crafted HTTP request will cause the server to misinterpret one of the HTTP header values leading to HTTP request smuggling. This issue has been addressed in version 3.8.5. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can reinstall aiohttp using AIOHTTPNOEXTENSIONS=1 as an environment variable to disable the llhttp HTTP request parser implementation. The pure Python implementation isn't vulnerable.
This vulnerability only affects users of aiohttp as an HTTP server (ie aiohttp.Application), you are not affected by this vulnerability if you are using aiohttp as an HTTP client library (ie aiohttp.ClientSession). Sending a crafted HTTP request will cause the server to misinterpret one of the HTTP header values leading to HTTP request smuggling. This issue has been addressed in version 3.8.5. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can reinstall aiohttp using AIOHTTPNOEXTENSIONS=1 as an environment variable to disable the llhttp HTTP request parser implementation. The pure Python implementation isn't vulnerable.
Reference:
https://github.com/aio-libs/aiohttp/security/advisories/GHSA-45c4-8wx5-qw6w
— Red Hat
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
pip/aiohttpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.8.5 - Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/aiohttpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.8.5 - Upgrade
Upgrade
aiohttpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.8.5Patch CVE-2023-30589 - Configuration
For environments unable to upgrade, reinstall aiohttp with the environment variable AIOHTTP_NO_EXTENSIONS=1 to disable the llhttp HTTP request parser implementation.
aiohttp (llhttp HTTP request parser) AIOHTTP_NO_EXTENSIONS = 1
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the vulnerability ID of this aiohttp vulnerability?
The vulnerability ID of this aiohttp vulnerability is CVE-2023-37276.
What is the impact of this vulnerability?
This vulnerability can allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (DoS) or execute arbitrary code.
How can I fix this vulnerability?
You can fix this vulnerability by updating aiohttp to version 3.8.5 or later.
Where can I find more information about this vulnerability?
You can find more information about this vulnerability at the following references: [GitHub Security Advisory](https://github.com/aio-libs/aiohttp/security/advisories/GHSA-45c4-8wx5-qw6w) and [HackerOne Report](https://hackerone.com/reports/2001873).
What is the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) ID for this vulnerability?
The Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) ID for this vulnerability is CWE-444.