CVE-2026-85716: asynchttpclient async-http-client Improper Authentication

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-85716 is a low (CVSS 3.7) Improper Authentication vulnerability in asynchttpclient async-http-client. EPSS estimates a 0.41% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 33.7% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 17-09-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 18-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

The AsyncHttpClient (AHC) library allows Java applications to easily execute HTTP requests and asynchronously process HTTP responses. From 3.0.8 until 3.0.12, processScramAuthenticationInfo and processAuthenticationInfo compute the SCRAM ServerSignature or Digest rspauth verification result but log a mismatch and still deliver the response as authenticated. On a non-TLS or compromised transport, a peer that has not proved knowledge of the shared secret can therefore be accepted as the server. The fix rejects a present invalid value and computes Digest rspauth from the Authorization parameters actually sent, but verification remains unenforced when the value is absent, the sent parameters cannot be recovered, or Digest uses qop=auth-int. This issue is fixed in version 3.0.12.

• CWE-287Improper AuthenticationWhen an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
• CWE-390Detection of Error Condition Without ActionThe product detects a specific error, but takes no actions to handle the error.