GHSA-q5vx-44v4-gch4 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.1) CWE-444 vulnerability in llhttp. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for llhttp — see the affected versions and patch details below.
llhttp allows HTTP Request Smuggling via Improper Delimiting of Header Fields
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-q5vx-44v4-gch4 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). In the shaded patch-first corner (EPSS 50%+, CVSS 7.0+).
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 379,842 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
llhttpnpmDescription
The llhttp parser in the http module in Node.js does not strictly use the CRLF sequence to delimit HTTP requests. The LF character (without CR) is sufficient to delimit HTTP header fields in the lihttp parser. According to RFC7230 section 3, only the CRLF sequence should delimit each header-field. This can lead to HTTP Request Smuggling (HRS).
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | llhttp | all versions | 6.0.7npm install llhttp@6.0.7 |
Affected Products
debian linuxdebianllhttpllhttpnode.jsnodejsstormshield management centerstormshieldResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for llhttp, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update llhttp to 6.0.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q5vx-44v4-gch4 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.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | nodejs:14-8060020220804102127.ad008a3a | RHSA-2022:6448 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | nodejs:16-8060020220805104227.ad008a3a | RHSA-2022:6449 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Extended Update Support | nodejs:14-8040020220804130254.522a0ee4 | RHSA-2022:6985 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | nodejs-1:16.16.0-1.el9_0 | RHSA-2022:6595 |
| Red Hat Software Collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | rh-nodejs14-nodejs-0:14.20.0-2.el7 | RHSA-2022:6389 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-q5vx-44v4-gch4 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.