CVE-2026-44453: h2o is vulnerable to musl libc stack overflow
h2o is an HTTP server with support for HTTP/1.x, HTTP/2 and HTTP/3. Prior to commit 6b5370d, h2o is vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack when calling alloca under certain conditions. When serving static files, h2o builds the file path on stack, by calling alloca. The maximum size of the memory allocated using alloca can be as huge as ~600KB, which exceeds the default pthread stack size used by musl libc (128KB). If the amount of memory allocated by alloca exceeds the stack size, the h2o server crashes with a segmentation fault, while it tries to touch the guard page. This issue has been fixed by commit 6b5370d.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Patch 6b5370d
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-44453?
CVE-2026-44453 has a high severity rating of 7.5.
How do I fix CVE-2026-44453?
To fix CVE-2026-44453, update to h2o version that includes the commit 6b5370d or later.
What is the impact of exploiting CVE-2026-44453?
Exploitation of CVE-2026-44453 can lead to a Denial of Service attack.
Which software is affected by CVE-2026-44453?
CVE-2026-44453 affects the h2o HTTP server.
When was CVE-2026-44453 published?
CVE-2026-44453 was published on July 16, 2026.