Vulnerability
Netty has Unbounded Direct Memory Consumption in its RedisDecoder
### Summary An attacker can cause DoS by sending crafted Redis payloads across multiple connections without `\r\n`. This exhausts the server's direct memory pool (OutOfDirectMemoryError), preventing legitimate connections from being processed. ### Details io.netty.handler.codec.redis.RedisDecoder decodes the length of bulk strings and array headers using the `decodeLength` method. This method reads bytes from the network until it encounters a `\n` character. However, it does not enforce any maximum length check while buffering the bytes if the `\n` character is not found. An attacker can exploit this by sending a continuous stream of digits (e.g., `$1111...`) without ever sending a `\n`. To cause a true Denial of Service, an attacker must open multiple concurrent connections and distribute the unbounded payloads among them. According to the RESP specification (https://redis.io/docs/latest/develop/reference/protocol-spec/), all parts of the protocol are strictly terminated with `\r\n`. Furthermore, the length prefix itself is an integer representation that must fit within standard numeric limits (e.g., a 64-bit signed integer). Therefore, a stream of digits exceeding these bounds without `\r\n` is a protocol violation and should be rejected immediately rather than buffered indefinitely. ### Impact Denial of Service due to memory exhaustion. Any application using Netty's RedisDecoder to handle untrusted Redis traffic is vulnerable.
No CVSS base score from NVD or GHSA yet. NVD typically scores within 24–72 hours of publication; GHSA usually within a day for OSS-flagged CVEs. Last record update .
For interim severity, fall back on KEV / EXPLOIT signals and the EPSS percentile (lower panel). Re-check this CVE after one cron tick — the score lands automatically when the source publishes.
Low exploitation likelihood — defer if no other signals fire.
No VEX statements published for CVE-2026-44890. Vendors publish VEX (Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange) to assert per-product whether a CVE is actually exploitable in their distribution.
No exploitation, limited impact or prevalence