CVE-2023-4586: Withdrawn Advisory Netty-handler Does Not Validate Host Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2023-4586 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) netty-handler does not validate host vulnerability (CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation) affecting Withdrawn Advisory libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves netty-handler does not validate host names by default. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.
CVE-2023-4586 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 5.3
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2023-4586
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Withdrawn Advisory dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>io.netty</groupId>
<artifactId>netty-handler</artifactId>
<version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.nettyHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-4586, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.nettyAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Withdrawn Advisory in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.netty command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation, where the product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate. In Withdrawn Advisory, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2023-4586 Affected Withdrawn Advisory Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
io.netty:netty-handler
|
Maven |
≥ 4.1.0.Final
≤ 4.1.99.Final
|
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-4586?
Which Withdrawn Advisory versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2023-4586?
Is netty-handler affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-4586?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-4586?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-4586?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-57m8-f3v5-hm5m",
"modified" : "2023-11-01T17:54:21Z",
"published" : "2023-10-04T12:30:14Z",
"withdrawn" : "2023-11-01T17:54:21Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-4586" ],
"summary" : "Withdrawn Advisory: Netty-handler does not validate host names by default",
"details" : "## Withdrawn Advisory\nThis advisory has been withdrawn because the underlying vulnerability only concerns Red Hat's Hot Rod client, which is not in one of the GitHub Advisory Database's [supported ecosystems](https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/README.md#supported-ecosystems). This link is maintained to preserve external references.\n\n## Original Description\nNetty-handler has been found to no validate hostnames when using TLS in its default configuration. As a result netty-handler is vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. Users would need to set the protocol to \"HTTPS\" in the SSLParameters of the SSLEngine to opt in to host name validation. A change in default behavior is expected in the `5.x` release branch with no backport planned.\n\nIn the interim users are advised to enable host name validation in their configurations.\nSee https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/8537 for details on the forthcoming change in default behavior.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "io.netty:netty-handler"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "4.1.0.Final"
}, {
"last_affected" : "4.1.99.Final"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4586"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/8537"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4586"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2235564"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/javax/net/ssl/SSLParameters.html#setEndpointIdentificationAlgorithm-java.lang.String-"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/netty/netty"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-IONETTY-1042268"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-295" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2023-10-04T20:27:04Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2023-10-04T11:15:10Z"
}
}