CVE-2020-5404: Reactor netty http Insufficiently Protected Credentials Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gpch-h32j-gx6x
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-522
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-5404 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) insufficiently protected credentials vulnerability (CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials) affecting Reactor netty http libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves insufficiently protected credentials in reactor netty. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.8.16, 0.9.5.

CVE-2020-5404 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-5404
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gpch-h32j-gx6x
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Affected Product Reactor netty http
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2020-5404

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Reactor netty http dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http fixed: 0.8.16 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.projectreactor.netty</groupId>
    <artifactId>reactor-netty-http</artifactId>
    <version>0.8.16</version>
</dependency>
io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http fixed: 0.9.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.projectreactor.netty</groupId>
    <artifactId>reactor-netty-http</artifactId>
    <version>0.9.5</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.projectreactor.netty

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-5404, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.projectreactor.netty

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Reactor netty http in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.8.16), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.projectreactor.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-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, where the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. In Reactor netty http, 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

The HttpClient from Reactor Netty, versions 0.9.x prior to 0.9.5, and versions 0.8.x prior to 0.8.16, may be used incorrectly, leading to a credentials leak during a redirect to a different domain. In order for this to happen, the HttpClient must have been explicitly configured to follow redirects.

CVE-2020-5404 Affected Reactor netty http Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.8.160.9.5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http
maven/io.projectreactor.netty/reactor-netty-http
Maven
≥ 0.8.0
< 0.8.16
0.8.16
io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http
maven/io.projectreactor.netty/reactor-netty-http
Maven
≥ 0.9.0
< 0.9.5
0.9.5

References

NVD — CVE-2020-5404 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5404
Reactor netty http Security Information SECURITY
https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2020-5404

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-5404?
CVE-2020-5404 is a security vulnerability in Reactor netty http involving Insufficiently Protected Credentials in Reactor Netty under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials.
Which Reactor netty http versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.8.16, 0.9.5 across affected packages: io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http.
What version fixes CVE-2020-5404?
Upgrading to 0.8.16, 0.9.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is reactor-netty-http affected?
Yes, io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http is affected in releases prior to 0.8.16, 0.9.5. Upgrade your dependency to 0.8.16, 0.9.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-5404?
CVE-2020-5404 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-5404?
CVE-2020-5404 is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-5404?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.projectreactor.netty'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-gpch-h32j-gx6x",
  "modified" : "2021-07-08T14:31:41Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-10T20:24:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-5404" ],
  "summary" : "Insufficiently Protected Credentials in Reactor Netty",
  "details" : "The HttpClient from Reactor Netty, versions 0.9.x prior to 0.9.5, and versions 0.8.x prior to 0.8.16, may be used incorrectly, leading to a credentials leak during a redirect to a different domain. In order for this to happen, the HttpClient must have been explicitly configured to follow redirects.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.9.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.9.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.projectreactor.netty:reactor-netty-http"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.8.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.8.16"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5404"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2020-5404"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-522" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-22T20:23:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-03T18:15:00Z"
  }
}