netty-handler SniHandler 16MB allocation
Summary
The SniHandler can allocate up to 16MB of heap for each channel during the TLS handshake. When the handler or the channel does not have an idle timeout, it can be used to make a TCP server using the SniHandler to allocate 16MB of heap.
Details
The SniHandler class is a handler that waits for the TLS handshake to configure a SslHandler according to the indicated server name by the ClientHello record. For this matter it allocates a ByteBuf using the value defined in the ClientHello record.
Normally the value of the packet should be smaller than the handshake packet but there are not checks done here and the way the code is written, it is possible to craft a packet that makes the SslClientHelloHandler
1/ allocate a 16MB ByteBuf
2/ not fail decode method in buffer
3/ get out of the loop without an exception
The combination of this without the use of a timeout makes easy to connect to a TCP server and allocate 16MB of heap memory per connection.
Impact
If the user has no idle timeout handler configured it might be possible for a remote peer to send a client hello packet which lead the server to buffer up to 16MB of data per connection. This could lead to a OutOfMemoryError and so result in a DDOS.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | io.netty:netty-handler | < 4.1.94.Final | 4.1.94.Final |
References
- https://github.com/netty/netty/security/advisories/GHSA-6mjq-h674-j845
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34462
- https://github.com/netty/netty/commit/535da17e45201ae4278c0479e6162bb4127d4c32
- https://github.com/netty/netty
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0001
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240621-0007
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5558
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-400, CWE-770- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
io.netty:netty-handler- Disclosed
- 20.06.2023
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:20
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-6mjq-h674-j845 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: io.netty:netty-handler
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 12
- First → latest
- 02.2020 09.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 1
- High 7
- Medium 4
Disclosures per year
- 2020: 4
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 5
-
netty-handler SniHandler 16MB allocation this entry
Know which vulnerabilities affect your application
With the DockRay integration and software inventory enabled, DockRay checks reported component versions against known vulnerabilities and notifies you about confirmed matches. Coverage depends on the supported technology and available advisory data.