CVE-2026-74835
Description
A flaw was found in the inets application HTTP server httpd. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted chunked request that fails to enforce a configured body-size limit. This can lead to memory exhaustion, causing a Denial of Service (DoS) on the affected system.
Statement
This is an Important denial of service vulnerability in the inets HTTP server, which is used in certain Red Hat products. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exhaust system memory by sending a specially crafted chunked HTTP request. This occurs because the server fails to enforce configured max_body_size limits on incomplete chunked requests, leading to unbounded data buffering and resource exhaustion. The vulnerability primarily impacts deployments where max_body_size was explicitly configured for hardening.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, restrict network access to services utilizing the `inets` HTTP server to trusted clients and networks. Alternatively, deploy a reverse proxy in front of the `inets` HTTP server and configure it to enforce body size limits for incoming requests, preventing oversized chunked bodies from reaching the vulnerable server. If a service restart or reload is required for network configuration changes to take effect, ensure proper service management procedures are followed.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Other,Integrity,Availability
Technical Impact: Varies by Context; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); Modify Memory; Read Memory
When the quantity is not properly validated, then attackers can specify malicious quantities to cause excessive resource allocation, trigger unexpected failures, enable buffer overflows, etc.
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