CVE-2021-44716 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2021-44716 pertains to uncontrolled memory consumption in net/http in Go before version 1.16.12 and 1.17.x before 1.17.5. This vulnerability arises through HTTP/2 requests leading to memory consumption in the header canonicalization cache.

Understanding CVE-2021-44716

What is CVE-2021-44716?

The CVE-2021-44716 vulnerability allows uncontrolled memory usage in Go due to improper handling of HTTP/2 requests, affecting versions before 1.16.12 and 1.17.5.

The Impact of CVE-2021-44716

This vulnerability may lead to denial of service by exhaustively consuming system memory or cause service disruptions.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-44716

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in net/http in Go versions prior to 1.16.12 and 1.17.5 enables uncontrolled memory consumption within the header canonicalization cache.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: n/a
Product: n/a
Affected Versions: n/a (for versions before 1.16.12 and 1.17.5)

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP/2 requests to trigger unbounded memory usage in the cache.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to Go version 1.16.12 or 1.17.5 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement network-level mitigations to filter out potentially malicious HTTP/2 traffic.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address known vulnerabilities.
Monitor system resources for unusual and excessive memory consumption.

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest security updates provided by the Go team to fix the vulnerability.