CVE-2026-58151 in Traffic Server
Summary
by MITRE • 07/29/2026
Apache Traffic Server can be crashed or driven to resource exhaustion by abusive HTTP/2 framing and flow-control.
This issue affects Apache Traffic Server: from 8.0.0 through 8.1.9, from 9.0.0 through 9.2.14, from 10.0.0 through 10.1.3.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 9.2.15 or 10.1.4, which fix the issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical resource exhaustion flaw in Apache Traffic Server that leverages abusive HTTP/2 framing and flow-control mechanisms to potentially crash the system or consume excessive resources. The issue stems from insufficient validation of HTTP/2 frame structures and flow-control parameters, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that exploit implementation weaknesses in the server's HTTP/2 handling logic. The vulnerability affects multiple version ranges including 8.0.0 through 8.1.9, 9.0.0 through 9.2.14, and 10.0.0 through 10.1.3, indicating a persistent flaw across several major releases that has remained unaddressed for an extended period.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when the server processes malformed HTTP/2 frames that manipulate flow-control windows or frame boundaries in ways that either cause memory exhaustion through excessive buffer allocation or trigger denial of service conditions through improper state management. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which specifically addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and falls under the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks that can be classified as part of the attack pattern described in ATT&CK technique T1499.3 for resource exhaustion attacks. The flow-control manipulation exploits the HTTP/2 protocol's inherent complexity where improper handling of window updates and frame sizes can lead to cascading resource allocation issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be exploited to cause complete system instability or crash the traffic server daemon. Attackers can craft requests that exhaust memory resources through excessive frame processing, leading to the server becoming unresponsive to legitimate traffic, or trigger heap corruption that results in process termination. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in high-traffic environments where a single malicious connection could consume disproportionate amounts of system resources, potentially affecting multiple concurrent users or services that depend on the traffic server for content delivery.
Organizations utilizing affected Apache Traffic Server versions should immediately implement the recommended upgrades to version 9.2.15 or 10.1.4 which contain specific fixes addressing the HTTP/2 framing and flow-control validation issues. These patches typically include enhanced input validation for frame parameters, proper bounds checking on flow-control window updates, and improved state management to prevent resource exhaustion conditions. Additional mitigations may include implementing rate limiting at the network level, configuring connection limits, and deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious HTTP/2 traffic patterns. The fix addresses the underlying protocol implementation gaps while maintaining compatibility with legitimate HTTP/2 traffic patterns that are essential for modern web content delivery operations.
This vulnerability demonstrates the complexity of HTTP/2 protocol implementation in proxy servers and highlights the importance of thorough security testing for protocol-specific features. The attack surface expands significantly when considering that HTTP/2 is increasingly adopted across enterprise environments, making proper implementation of flow-control and frame handling critical for maintaining service availability and system stability. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web infrastructure to identify any other components that might be susceptible to similar HTTP/2 related vulnerabilities and ensure that all proxy and load balancing systems receive appropriate updates to address these protocol-level weaknesses.