The AsyncHttpClient (AHC) library allows Java applications to easily execute HTTP requests and asynchronously process HTTP responses. From 2.2.0 until 3.0.14, WebSocket permessage-deflate decompression is unbounded when compression is enabled. The inbound pipeline aggregates compressed frames before WebSocketClientCompressionHandler inflates them, so webSocketMaxFrameSize and webSocketMaxBufferSize do not bound decompressed output. A malicious WebSocket peer can send a small compressed message that expands to a very large Netty buffer and exhausts JVM heap. This issue is fixed in version 3.0.14.
Weakness
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Potential Mitigations
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html