httpd applies no timeout while receiving a request body, parking a worker on a stalled client
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-772.
Summary
Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in Erlang/OTP inets httpd allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause denial of service by sending valid request headers with a large Content-Length and then stalling before the body is complete. httpd_request_handler:handle_info/2 cancels the request timeout as soon as a parse step succeeds, which includes the headers, and the clause that handles a decoder asking for more data re-arms the socket with {active, once} without setting any further timer. httpd_request:whole_body/2 returns such a continuation whenever the bytes received are fewer than the announced Content-Length, so a well-formed request that stops mid-body leaves the worker waiting indefinitely. The periodic byte-rate check that would reclaim it is armed only when minimum_bytes_per_second is configured, which it is not by default. Repeating this across connections occupies every worker permitted by max_clients and denies service to legitimate clients at negligible bandwidth cost. This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 27.3.4.17, from OTP 28.0 before OTP 28.5.0.6, and from OTP 29.0 before OTP 29.0.6, corresponding to inets from 5.10 before 9.3.2.7, from 9.4 before 9.6.2.3, and from 9.7 before 9.7.2. Whether OTP before OTP 17.0, corresponding to inets before 5.10, is affected is unknown.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erlang | OTP | 17.0 to before 27.3.4.17; 28.0 to before 28.5.0.6; 29.0 to before 29.0.6 | 27.3.4.17, 28.5.0.6, 29.0.6 | Patch available | CNA |
| Erlang | OTP | 5.10 to before 9.3.2.7; 9.4 to before 9.6.2.3; 9.7 to before 9.7.2 | 9.3.2.7, 9.6.2.3, 9.7.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- OTP VendorErlang Affected 17.0 to before 27.3.4.17; 28.0 to before 28.5.0.6; 29.0 to before 29.0.6 Fixed in 27.3.4.17, 28.5.0.6, 29.0.6 Patch available CNA
- OTP VendorErlang Affected 5.10 to before 9.3.2.7; 9.4 to before 9.6.2.3; 9.7 to before 9.7.2 Fixed in 9.3.2.7, 9.6.2.3, 9.7.2 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA OTP (Erlang) Fixed in 27.3.4.17, 28.5.0.6, 29.0.6
- Fix · CNA OTP (Erlang) Fixed in 9.3.2.7, 9.6.2.3, 9.7.2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Erlang OTP 17.0, 27.3.4.17 and 2 more versions
11 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 2 MEDIUM, 9 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-52570 inets,httpd: Memory Exhaustion via Unenforced max_body_size During Chunked Body ReceptionPriority MEDIUM 44
- TI-2026-47459 httpd mod_auth directory protection bypassed by a doubled slash in the request pathPriority LOW 38
- TI-2026-52886 Heap-based buffer overflow in Erlang OTPPriority LOW 37
- Release ·
Erlang OTP 5.10, 9.3.2.7 and 2 more versions
9 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 2 MEDIUM, 7 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-52570 inets,httpd: Memory Exhaustion via Unenforced max_body_size During Chunked Body ReceptionPriority MEDIUM 44
- TI-2026-47459 httpd mod_auth directory protection bypassed by a doubled slash in the request pathPriority LOW 38
- TI-2026-51857 inets, httpd: HTTP Request Smuggling via Transfer-Encoding and Content-LengthPriority LOW 37
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-71380
References
More Erlang vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-23504 Erlang/OTP SSH Vulnerable to Pre-Authentication RCE KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-48954 httpd parks a request worker indefinitely on a malformed chunk size sent after the headers CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2023-26623 The SSH transport protocol with certain OpenSSH extensions, found in OpenSSH before 9.6… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.9
- TI-2026-71037 Path traversal in rebar3 via unvalidated dependency app names CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2024-36042 ssl fails to validate incorrect extened key usage CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5
- TI-2020-10791 Rebar3 versions 3.0.0-beta.3 to 3.13.2 are vulnerable to OS command injection via URL… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences