CVE-2026-22263 in Suricata
Summary
by MITRE • 01/27/2026
Suricata is a network IDS, IPS and NSM engine. Starting in version 8.0.0 and prior to version 8.0.3, inefficiency in http1 headers parsing can lead to slowdown over multiple packets. Version 8.0.3 patches the issue. No known workarounds are available.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-22263 affects Suricata, a widely-used network intrusion detection system, intrusion prevention system, and network security monitoring engine that processes and analyzes network traffic in real-time. This security flaw specifically impacts versions 8.0.0 through 8.0.2 of the Suricata engine, where an inefficient parsing mechanism for HTTP/1 headers creates performance degradation issues that can significantly impact network monitoring capabilities. The vulnerability resides in the HTTP/1 protocol handling component of Suricata's network processing pipeline, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on continuous network traffic analysis and threat detection.
The technical flaw manifests in the way Suricata processes HTTP/1 headers across multiple network packets, creating inefficient parsing routines that consume excessive computational resources during header analysis. This inefficiency becomes more pronounced when processing multiple packets containing HTTP headers, leading to substantial performance degradation that can slow down the entire network monitoring system. The vulnerability represents a classic case of algorithmic inefficiency in protocol parsing that directly impacts system throughput and response times. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-209, which deals with generation of error message containing sensitive information, though the specific manifestation here is more related to performance degradation rather than information exposure. The issue demonstrates poor resource management in parsing operations and could potentially be exploited to create denial of service conditions by overwhelming the system with specially crafted HTTP traffic.
The operational impact of CVE-2026-22263 extends beyond simple performance degradation, as it can compromise the effectiveness of network security monitoring operations. Organizations using affected Suricata versions may experience reduced network visibility, delayed threat detection, and potential false negatives in security monitoring due to the system's inability to process traffic efficiently. This degradation can be particularly problematic in high-throughput environments where network monitoring systems must process thousands of packets per second. The vulnerability creates a window where attackers could potentially exploit the performance degradation to conduct resource exhaustion attacks or create conditions where legitimate network traffic is delayed or dropped, impacting overall network security posture. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving performance impact and resource exhaustion, potentially enabling adversaries to degrade security monitoring capabilities as part of a broader attack strategy.
Organizations must prioritize upgrading to Suricata version 8.0.3 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no known workarounds exist to address the parsing inefficiency without modifying the core engine behavior. The patch released with version 8.0.3 specifically addresses the HTTP/1 header parsing routines to improve computational efficiency and eliminate the performance degradation patterns. Security teams should conduct thorough testing of the updated version in their environments to ensure compatibility with existing network monitoring configurations and rulesets. Additionally, organizations should monitor their network traffic patterns for signs of performance degradation that may indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could be leveraged to create conditions where legitimate security monitoring is compromised. The incident underscores the importance of regular security updates and continuous monitoring of network security tools to prevent performance degradation issues that can significantly impact overall security effectiveness.