CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-48044NVD status: Analyzed

envoy: Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Data Amplification)

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-48044 is a high-severity improper handling of highly compressed data (data amplification) vulnerability in envoy from Envoyproxy, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected envoy versions: >= 1.38.0, < 1.38.1; >= 1.37.0, < 1.37.3; >= 1.36.0, < 1.36.7, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.49% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of envoy you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Envoyproxyenvoy>= 1.38.0, < 1.38.1; >= 1.37.0, < 1.37.3; >= 1.36.0, < 1.36.7; >= 1.23.0, < 1.35.11Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

Envoy is an open source edge and service proxy designed for cloud-native applications. From 1.23.0 until 1.35.11, 1.36.7, 1.37.3, and 1.38.1, a vulnerability has been identified in Envoy's zstd decompressor implementation (ZstdDecompressorImpl). When zstd decompression is enabled, processing a specially crafted, highly compressed zstd payload can lead to massive memory allocation. An attacker can exploit this to cause severe memory exhaustion, potentially resulting in an Out-Of-Memory (OOM) kill and Denial of Service (DoS) for the Envoy proxy. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.35.11, 1.36.7, 1.37.3, and 1.38.1.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Data Amplification)

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles a compressed input with a very high compression ratio that produces a large output.

More Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Data Amplification) vulnerabilities (CWE-409)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in envoy

All envoy vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Data Amplification) vulnerabilities

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