CVE-2023-35945 — Envoy vulnerable to HTTP/2 memory leak in nghttp2 codec
Envoy is a cloud-native high-performance edge/middle/service proxy. Envoy’s HTTP/2 codec may leak a header map and bookkeeping structures upon receiving `RST_STREAM` immediately followed by the `GOAWAY` frames from an upstream server. In nghttp2, cleanup of pending requests due to receipt of the `GOAWAY` frame skips de-allocation of the bookkeeping structure and pending compressed header. The error return [code path] is taken if connection is already marked for not sending more requests due to `GOAWAY` frame. The clean-up code is right after the return statement, causing memory leak. Denial of service through memory exhaustion. This vulnerability was patched in versions(s) 1.26.3, 1.25.8, 1.24.9, 1.23.11.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 1.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+10
- Technical severity (high)+6
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Envoyproxy Envoy, Nghttp2 Nghttp2).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoyproxy | Envoy | < 1.23.11≥ 1.24.0 and < 1.24.9≥ 1.25.0 and < 1.25.8≥ 1.26.0 and < 1.26.3 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Envoyproxy | Envoy | version >= 1.26.0, < 1.26.3version >= 1.25.0, < 1.25.8version >= 1.24.0, < 1.24.9version >= 1.23.0, < 1.23.11 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Nghttp2 | Nghttp2 | < 1.55.1 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · envoyproxy/envoy
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Affected products added · envoyproxy/envoy, nghttp2/nghttp2
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2023
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-73547 Envoy ext_authz: request `:path` pseudoheader dereferenced w/o null check 24d
- Medium CVE-2026-58055 nghttp2 nghttpx - HTTP Request/Response Smuggling via Upgrade Request with Content-Length Jun 27, 2026
- High CVE-2026-47220 Envoy: Segmentation fault when using %REQUESTED_SERVER_NAME% in log format Jun 26, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-48090 Envoy HTTP: OAuth2 filter late async token completion after stream teardown (UAF / crash risk) Jun 26, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-47205 Envoy: ext_authz Use-After-Free during Stream Teardown with Per-Route Overrides Jun 26, 2026
- High CVE-2026-48706 Envoy Heap Buffer Overflow in TcpStatsdSink Jun 26, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2023-35945 is "Envoy vulnerable to HTTP/2 memory leak in nghttp2 codec", rated High. It affects Envoy (Envoyproxy); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 1.29% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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