AsyncHttpClient leaks authorization credentials to untrusted domains on cross-origin redirects

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Summary

CVECVE-2026-40490
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerGitHub_M
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-04-18 02:16:11 UTC
Updated2026-04-18 02:16:11 UTC
DescriptionThe AsyncHttpClient (AHC) library allows Java applications to easily execute HTTP requests and asynchronously process HTTP responses. When redirect following is enabled (followRedirect(true)), versions of AsyncHttpClient prior to 3.0.9 and 2.14.5 forward Authorization and Proxy-Authorization headers along with Realm credentials to arbitrary redirect targets regardless of domain, scheme, or port changes. This leaks credentials on cross-domain redirects and HTTPS-to-HTTP downgrades. Additionally, even when stripAuthorizationOnRedirect is set to true, the Realm object containing plaintext credentials is still propagated to the redirect request, causing credential re-generation for Basic and Digest authentication schemes via NettyRequestFactory. An attacker who controls a redirect target (via open redirect, DNS rebinding, or MITM on HTTP) can capture Bearer tokens, Basic auth credentials, or any other Authorization header value. The fix in versions 3.0.9 and 2.14.5 automatically strips Authorization and Proxy-Authorization headers and clears Realm credentials whenever a redirect crosses origin boundaries (different scheme, host, or port) or downgrades from HTTPS to HTTP. For users unable to upgrade, set `(stripAuthorizationOnRedirect(true))` in the client config and avoid using Realm-based authentication with redirect following enabled. Note that `(stripAuthorizationOnRedirect(true))` alone is insufficient on versions prior to 3.0.9 and 2.14.5 because the Realm bypass still re-generates credentials. Alternatively, disable redirect following (`followRedirect(false)`) and handle redirects manually with origin validation.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 6.8 MEDIUM from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Problem Types: CWE-200 | CWE-200 CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1[email protected]Secondary6.8MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
3.1CNADECLARED6.8MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA AsyncHttpClient Async-http-client affected >= 3.0.0.Beta1, < 3.0.9 Not specified
CNA AsyncHttpClient Async-http-client affected < 2.14.5 Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/security/advisories/GHSA-cm... [email protected] github.com
github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/releases/tag/async-http-cli... [email protected] github.com
github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/commit/6b2fbb7f8 [email protected] github.com
github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/commit/ae557ad35246721c09da... [email protected] github.com
github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/releases/tag/async-http-cli... [email protected] github.com
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NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis
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