CVE-2026-44894: netty

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-44894 is a high (CVSS 7.5) vulnerability in netty. EPSS estimates a 0.19% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 8.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 12-06-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 15-07-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. NoQuicTokenHandler is the tokenHandler used when the application does not set one. Prior to version 4.2.15.Final, its writeToken() returns false (server will not send Retry — acceptable), but validateToken() unconditionally `return 0`. In QuicheQuicServerCodec.handlePacket(), a non-negative return from validateToken() is interpreted as 'token is valid, ODCID starts at offset 0', causing the server to call quiche_accept as if the client's address had been validated by a Retry round-trip. Per RFC 9000 §8.1, a validated address lifts the 3× anti-amplification send limit. Thus any attacker who includes ANY non-empty token bytes in an Initial packet — with a spoofed victim source IP — causes the Netty server to treat the victim as validated and reflect full-size handshake flights (certificates, etc.) toward it without the 3× cap. The correct 'no token handler' semantics would be to return -1 (invalid) so the normal un-validated path and amplification limit apply. Version 4.2.15.Final patches the issue.

• CWE-940Improper Verification of Source of a Communication ChannelThe product establishes a communication channel to handle an incoming request that has been initiated by an actor, but it does not properly verify that the request is coming from the expected origin.
• CWE-346Origin Validation ErrorThe product does not properly verify that the source of data or communication is valid.