http4s: Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests
CVE-2026-69205 is a high-severity inconsistent interpretation of HTTP requests vulnerability in http4s, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected http4s versions: < 0.23.35; >= 1.0.0-M1, < 1.0.0-M47. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.48% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of http4s you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
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
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Http4s is a Scala interface for HTTP services. Prior to 0.23.35 and 1.0.0-M47, Ember’s HeaderP.parse uses a case-sensitive substring test for the Transfer-Encoding value and decodes header bytes with the platform default charset. Values such as Chunked are not recognized, values such as notchunked are incorrectly accepted, and Unicode case folding can turn a Kelvin-sign byte sequence into a match when UTF-8 is used. Intermediaries that apply RFC-compliant token and charset rules can therefore disagree with Ember’s Content-Length or zero-length framing, enabling TE.CL or TE.0 request smuggling, access-control bypass, cross-user request hijacking, and cache poisoning on the server path. Response smuggling through an ember-client gateway requires a malicious or compromised upstream. This issue is fixed in versions 0.23.35 and 1.0.0-M47.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests
The product acts as an intermediary HTTP agent (such as a proxy or firewall) in the data flow between two entities such as a client and server, but it does not interpret malformed HTTP requests or responses in ways that are consistent with how the messages will be processed by those entities that are at the ultimate destination.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a web server that employs a strict HTTP parsing procedure, such as Apache.
- Terminate the client session after each request.
More Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests vulnerabilities (CWE-444)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in http4s
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.2 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
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