GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45
GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45 is a security vulnerability in org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.13. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Memory exhaustion in http4s-async-http-client with large or malicious compressed responses
Real-World Exposure
org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.13☕org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.12Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
A server we connect to with http4s-async-http-client could theoretically respond with a large or malicious compressed stream and exhaust memory in the client JVM. It does not affect http4s servers, other client backends, or clients that speak only to trusted servers. This is related to a transitive dependency on netty-codec-4.1.45.Final, which is affected by CVE-2020-11612.
Patches
Upgrade to http4s-async-http-client >= 0.21.8. All 1.0 milestones are also safe.
Workarounds
Add an explicit runtime dependency on async-http-client's netty dependencies that evicts them to an unaffected version:
libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
"io.netty" % "netty-codec" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime,
"io.netty" % "netty-codec-socks" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime,
"io.netty" % "netty-handler-proxy" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime,
"io.netty" % "netty-common" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime,
"io.netty" % "netty-transport" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime,
"io.netty" % "netty-handler" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime,
"io.netty" % "netty-resolver-dns" % "4.1.53.Final" % Runtime
)
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in http4s
- Contact a maintainer privately per http4s' security policy
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.13 | all versions | 0.21.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.12 | all versions | 0.21.8 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.13. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.http4s:http4s-async-http-client_2.13 to 0.21.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-8hxh-r6f7-jf45 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.