Vulnerabilities in pkg:maven/org.http4s/http4s-server_3

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-crq5-92j2-j7wv
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-69201 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Http4s libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves resourceservice and webjar service path escape via percent-encoded separators. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.23.35, 1.0.0-M47.

3 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:maven/org.http4s/http4s-server_3

3 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:maven/org.http4s/http4s-server_3. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-crq5-92j2-j7wv CVE-2026-69201 MODERATE Http4s: ResourceService and Webjar Service path escape via percent-encoded separators
GHSA-52cf-226f-rhr6 CVE-2021-39185 CRITICAL Default CORS config allows any origin with credentials
GHSA-5vcm-3xc3-w7x3 CVE-2021-41084 HIGH Response Splitting from unsanitized headers

CVE-2026-69201 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-69201
GHSA Identifier GHSA-crq5-92j2-j7wv
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Http4s
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:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-69201

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Http4s dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.http4s:http4s-server_2.12 fixed: 0.23.35
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.http4s</groupId>
    <artifactId>http4s-server_2.12</artifactId>
    <version>0.23.35</version>
</dependency>
org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13 fixed: 0.23.35
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.http4s</groupId>
    <artifactId>http4s-server_2.13</artifactId>
    <version>0.23.35</version>
</dependency>
org.http4s:http4s-server_3 fixed: 0.23.35
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.http4s</groupId>
    <artifactId>http4s-server_3</artifactId>
    <version>0.23.35</version>
</dependency>
org.http4s:http4s-server_3 fixed: 1.0.0-M47
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.http4s</groupId>
    <artifactId>http4s-server_3</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0-M47</version>
</dependency>
org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13 fixed: 1.0.0-M47
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.http4s</groupId>
    <artifactId>http4s-server_2.13</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0-M47</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=org.http4s

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-69201, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.http4s

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Http4s in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.23.35), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.http4s 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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Http4s, 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 static content handlers `ResourceService` and `WebjarService` URL decode each path segment and then reject only segments that are exactly `""`, `"."`, or `".."`. A percent-encoded separator (`%2F`) lets an attacker smuggle a `../` segment past that filter and escape the configured base, reading resources that should not be public. On Windows, a similar attack exists with (`%5C`). ## Impact Disclosure of classpath or webjar resources outside the configured base. ## Preconditions - Application uses `ResourceService` (with a non-root base path) or `WebjarService` - At least one classpath entry is served from a directory (e.g. `sbt run`, exploded .war) - Backend forwards `%2F`/`%5C` without normalizing (e.g., Ember, Blaze) ## Fixes The patch rejects any decoded path segment containing `/` (`%2F`) or `\` (`%5C`) with a `400 Bad Request` in `ResourceService` and `WebjarService`. `FileService` was not exploitable, but the same guards are applied for consistency and to remove its reliance on path normalization. ## Workarounds - Deploy as a fat jar, with no filesystem directories on the classpath. - Front the service with a proxy that rejects/normalizes `%2F` and `%5C` in the request path.

CVE-2026-69201 Affected Http4s Versions

5 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.23.351.0.0-M47
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.http4s:http4s-server_2.12
Maven
< 0.23.35
0.23.35
org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13
Maven
< 0.23.35
0.23.35
org.http4s:http4s-server_3
Maven
< 0.23.35
0.23.35
org.http4s:http4s-server_3
Maven
≥ 1.0.0-M1
< 1.0.0-M47
1.0.0-M47
org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13
Maven
≥ 1.0.0-M1
< 1.0.0-M47
1.0.0-M47

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-69201?
CVE-2026-69201 is a security vulnerability in Http4s involving ResourceService and Webjar Service path escape via percent-encoded separators under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Http4s versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.23.35, 1.0.0-M47 across affected packages: org.http4s:http4s-server_2.12, org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13, org.http4s:http4s-server_3.
What version fixes CVE-2026-69201?
Upgrading to 0.23.35, 1.0.0-M47 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is http4s-server_2.12 affected?
Yes, org.http4s:http4s-server_2.12 is affected in releases prior to 0.23.35. Upgrade your dependency to 0.23.35 or later.
Is http4s-server_2.13 affected?
Yes, org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13 is affected in releases prior to 0.23.35, 1.0.0-M47. Upgrade your dependency to 0.23.35, 1.0.0-M47 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-69201?
CVE-2026-69201 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-69201?
CVE-2026-69201 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-69201?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.http4s'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-crq5-92j2-j7wv",
  "modified" : "2026-09-15T20:01:13Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-15T20:01:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-69201" ],
  "summary" : "Http4s: ResourceService and Webjar Service path escape via percent-encoded separators",
  "details" : "The static content handlers `ResourceService` and `WebjarService` URL decode each path segment and then reject only segments that are exactly `\"\"`, `\".\"`, or `\"..\"`.  A percent-encoded separator (`%2F`) lets an attacker smuggle a `../` segment past that filter and escape the configured base, reading resources that should not be public.\n\nOn Windows, a similar attack exists with (`%5C`).\n\n## Impact\n\nDisclosure of classpath or webjar resources outside the configured base.\n\n## Preconditions\n\n- Application uses `ResourceService` (with a non-root base path) or `WebjarService`\n- At least one classpath entry is served from a directory (e.g. `sbt run`, exploded .war)\n- Backend forwards `%2F`/`%5C` without normalizing (e.g., Ember, Blaze)\n\n## Fixes\n\nThe patch rejects any decoded path segment containing `/` (`%2F`) or `\\` (`%5C`) with a `400 Bad Request` in `ResourceService` and `WebjarService`.\n\n`FileService` was not exploitable, but the same guards are applied for consistency and to remove its reliance on path normalization.\n\n## Workarounds\n\n- Deploy as a fat jar, with no filesystem directories on the classpath.\n- Front the service with a proxy that rejects/normalizes `%2F` and `%5C` in the request path.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.http4s:http4s-server_2.12"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.23.35"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 0.23.34"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.23.35"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 0.23.34"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.http4s:http4s-server_3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.23.35"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 0.23.34"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.http4s:http4s-server_3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.0.0-M1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.0-M47"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.0.0-M46"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.http4s:http4s-server_2.13"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.0.0-M1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.0-M47"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.0.0-M46"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/http4s/http4s/security/advisories/GHSA-crq5-92j2-j7wv"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/http4s/http4s/commit/bcd99cdc1342ef58a0f132acb814af06a668a8d3"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/http4s/http4s"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/http4s/http4s/releases/tag/v0.23.35"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/http4s/http4s/releases/tag/v1.0.0-M47"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-15T20:01:12Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}