REDHAT-BUG-2488421: Medium severity Netty HttpObjectDecoder vulnerability
Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. Prior to versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final, before reading the first request-line, HttpObjectDecoder skips every byte for which Character.isISOControl(b) is true (0x00–0x1F and 0x7F) as well as all whitespace. RFC 9112 §2.2 only asks servers to ignore empty CRLF lines preceding the request-line — a carefully scoped robustness allowance intended to handle HTTP/1.0 POST workarounds. Silently absorbing NUL bytes, SOH, STX, and other non-CRLF control characters goes significantly beyond this, and can be exploited for request-boundary confusion in pipelined or multiplexed transports where a front-end component treats those bytes differently. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
Netty HttpObjectDecoderto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.1.135.Final - Upgrade
Upgrade
Netty HttpObjectDecoderto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.2.15.Final
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of REDHAT-BUG-2488421?
The severity of REDHAT-BUG-2488421 is classified as medium (4).
How do I fix REDHAT-BUG-2488421?
To fix REDHAT-BUG-2488421, upgrade to Netty versions 4.1.135.Final or 4.2.15.Final or later.
What software is affected by REDHAT-BUG-2488421?
The affected software is Netty HttpObjectDecoder.
What is the risk level associated with REDHAT-BUG-2488421?
The risk level associated with REDHAT-BUG-2488421 is rated as 19.
When was REDHAT-BUG-2488421 published?
REDHAT-BUG-2488421 was published on June 12, 2026.