Answer in brief
CVE-2026-43971 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in Link Header Directive Smuggling via Unescaped target/rel/Attribute Keys in cow_link:link/1. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps ninenines/cowlib (generic), ninenines/cowlib (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps ninenines/cowlib (generic), ninenines/cowlib (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| ninenines/cowlibgeneric | >=2.9.0 <* | * |
| ninenines/cowlibgeneric | >=485d58dfa91b91d98135dc95e5615f421715dae5 <* | * |
Published upstream
Aug 18, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Aug 18, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Aug 18, 2026
Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output vulnerability in ninenines cowlib allows Link header directive smuggling via unescaped special characters in cow_link:link/1. cow_link:do_link/1 in cowlib interpolates the target URI, rel value, and attribute keys directly into the serialized Link: header value without escaping or token-grammar validation. A > byte in target prematurely closes the URI slot, allowing an attacker to append additional link entries with attacker-chosen rel directives. A " or \ in rel escapes the quoted string and opens new parameters. Any byte — including whitespace, =, and " — in an attribute key is emitted verbatim. Because browsers act on Link: directives such as rel="preconnect", rel="preload", and rel="prerender", an attacker who can influence these fields in an application that round-trips parsed Link headers through cow_link:link/1 can force victim browsers to make out-of-band connections to attacker-controlled origins. This issue affects cowlib: from 2.9.0 onward.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.
Answer in brief
CVE-2026-43971 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in Link Header Directive Smuggling via Unescaped target/rel/Attribute Keys in cow_link:link/1. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps ninenines/cowlib (generic), ninenines/cowlib (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps ninenines/cowlib (generic), ninenines/cowlib (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| ninenines/cowlibgeneric | >=2.9.0 <* | * |
| ninenines/cowlibgeneric | >=485d58dfa91b91d98135dc95e5615f421715dae5 <* | * |
Published upstream
Aug 18, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Aug 18, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Aug 18, 2026
Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output vulnerability in ninenines cowlib allows Link header directive smuggling via unescaped special characters in cow_link:link/1. cow_link:do_link/1 in cowlib interpolates the target URI, rel value, and attribute keys directly into the serialized Link: header value without escaping or token-grammar validation. A > byte in target prematurely closes the URI slot, allowing an attacker to append additional link entries with attacker-chosen rel directives. A " or \ in rel escapes the quoted string and opens new parameters. Any byte — including whitespace, =, and " — in an attribute key is emitted verbatim. Because browsers act on Link: directives such as rel="preconnect", rel="preload", and rel="prerender", an attacker who can influence these fields in an application that round-trips parsed Link headers through cow_link:link/1 can force victim browsers to make out-of-band connections to attacker-controlled origins. This issue affects cowlib: from 2.9.0 onward.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.