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Cpp Httplib CVE-2025-46728

HIGH
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400)
2025-05-06 security-advisories@github.com
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · GitHub Advisory
View

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Resource consumption limits
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Impact

CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). Attack characteristics: network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction not required. Public proof-of-concept exploit code is available. EPSS exploitation probability: 1.01%.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote attacker could cause denial of service by exhausting system resources by sending crafted requests to the affected application. No authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 1.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 28, 2026

cpp-httplib is a C++ header-only HTTP/HTTPS server and client library. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.

RemediationAI

A vendor patch is available. Apply the latest security update as soon as possible. Implement rate limiting, set resource quotas, validate input sizes, use timeouts.

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

This vulnerability is classified as Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400), which allows attackers to cause denial of service by exhausting system resources. cpp-httplib is a C++ header-only HTTP/HTTPS server and client library. Prior to version 0.20.1, the library fails to enforce configured size limits on incoming request bodies when Transfer-Encoding: chunked is used or when no Content-Length header is provided. A remote attacker can send a chunked request without the terminating zero-length chunk, causing uncontrolled memory allocation on the server. This leads to potential exhaustion of system memory and results in a server crash or unresponsiveness. Version 0.20.1 fixes the issue by enforcing limits during parsing. If the limit is exceeded at any point during reading, the connection is terminated immediately. A short-term workaround through a Reverse Proxy is available. If updating the library immediately is not feasible, deploy a reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx, HAProxy) in front of the cpp-httplib application. Configure the proxy to enforce maximum request body size limits, thereby stopping excessively large requests before they reach the vulnerable library code. Affected products include: Cpp-Httplib Project Cpp-Httplib. Version information: version 0.20.1.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

GitHub Advisory PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
SUSE HIGH

Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.

CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Patch released
Mar 28, 2026 - 18:40 nvd
Patch available
PoC Detected
Aug 01, 2025 - 21:25 vuln.today
Public exploit code
CVE Published
May 06, 2025 - 01:15 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionGitHub Advisory

cpp-httplib is a C++ header-only HTTP/HTTPS server and client library. Prior to version 0.20.1, the library fails to enforce configured size limits on incoming request bodies when Transfer-Encoding: chunked is used or when no Content-Length header is provided. A remote attacker can send a chunked request without the terminating zero-length chunk, causing uncontrolled memory allocation on the server. This leads to potential exhaustion of system memory and results in a server crash or unresponsiveness. Version 0.20.1 fixes the issue by enforcing limits during parsing. If the limit is exceeded at any point during reading, the connection is terminated immediately. A short-term workaround through a Reverse Proxy is available. If updating the library immediately is not feasible, deploy a reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx, HAProxy) in front of the cpp-httplib application. Configure the proxy to enforce maximum request body size limits, thereby stopping excessively large requests before they reach the vulnerable library code.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Organizations using cpp-httplib face notable risk from CVE-2025-46728, a resource exhaustion vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. Exploitation could cause service disruption or denial of service, impacting availability for legitimate users. Proof-of-concept code is publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation. A patch is available and should be applied as part of regular vulnerability management.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
1.0%
Top 23% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 1.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

59
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +38
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory

cpe:2.3:a:cpp-httplib_project:cpp-httplib:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
CVE-2025-66570 CRITICAL POC
10.0 Dec 05

cpp-httplib is a C++11 single-file header-only cross platform HTTP/HTTPS library. Prior to 0.27.0, a vulnerability allow

CVE-2025-53628 HIGH POC
8.8 Jul 10

CVE-2025-53628 is a memory exhaustion vulnerability in cpp-httplib versions prior to 0.20.1 that allows unauthenticated

CVE-2025-52887 HIGH POC
7.5 Jun 26

cpp-httplib is a C++11 single-file header-only cross platform HTTP/HTTPS library. In version 0.21.0, when many http head

CVE-2025-53629 HIGH POC
7.5 Jul 10

CVE-2025-53629 is a Denial of Service vulnerability in cpp-httplib versions prior to 0.23.0 that allows unauthenticated

CVE-2026-22776 HIGH POC
7.5 Jan 12

cpp-httplib versions prior to 0.30.1 are vulnerable to denial of service attacks due to insufficient validation of decom

CVE-2026-28435 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 04

cpp-httplib is a C++11 single-file header-only cross platform HTTP/HTTPS library. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]

CVE-2026-21428 HIGH POC
7.5 Jan 01

Cpp-Httplib versions up to 0.30.0 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to add extra headers, modify request bo

CVE-2020-11709 HIGH POC
7.5 Apr 12

cpp-httplib through 0.5.8 does not filter \r\n in parameters passed into the set_redirect and set_header functions, whic

CVE-2026-45372 CRITICAL
9.9 May 29

HTTP response/header injection in cpp-httplib server versions prior to 0.44.0 allows remote unauthenticated attackers to

CVE-2026-29076 MEDIUM POC
5.9 Mar 07

Remote denial of service in cpp-httplib prior to version 0.37.0 allows unauthenticated attackers to crash server process

CVE-2025-66577 MEDIUM POC
5.3 Dec 05

A security vulnerability in cpp-httplib (CVSS 5.3) that allows attacker-controlled http headers. Risk factors: public Po

CVE-2026-28434 MEDIUM POC
5.3 Mar 04

cpp-httplib is a C++11 single-file header-only cross platform HTTP/HTTPS library. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 Fixed
SUSE Package Hub 15 SP6 Fixed
openSUSE Leap 15.6 Fixed
openSUSE Tumbleweed Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.1 Fixed

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