Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. Prior to versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final, the HAProxy PROXY protocol v2 codec in netty leaks native or heap memory on every connection when a client sends a syntactically valid header containing nested `PP2_TYPE_SSL` TLVs (type-length-value records) at depth two or greater. The leak occurs on the successful parse path — no exception is thrown, the message fires downstream, the decoder removes itself, and the application releases the `HAProxyMessage` normally. Yet the underlying cumulation buffer (a pooled, potentially direct `ByteBuf` allocated by the channel) remains permanently pinned. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue.
Update io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy to 4.2.15.Final; io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy to 4.1.135.Final if you use the affected versions. Test the change in a non-production environment first.
Local check
hol-guard supply-chain scanNetty HAProxy: Unbalanced Reference Count in Nested PP2_TYPE_SSL TLV Parsing Leads to Memory Exhaustion affects io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy (maven), io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy (maven). Severity is high. Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. Prior to versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final, the HAProxy PROXY protocol v2 codec in netty leaks native or heap memory on every connection when a client sends a syntactically valid header containing nested `PP2_TYPE_SSL` TLVs (type-length-value records) at depth two or greater. The leak occurs on the successful parse path — no exception is thrown, the message fires downstream, the decoder removes itself, and the application releases the `HAProxyMessage` normally. Yet the underlying cumulation buffer (a pooled, potentially direct `ByteBuf` allocated by the channel) remains permanently pinned. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue.
AI coding agents often install or upgrade packages automatically in maven. A high vulnerability in a dependency can be pulled into a project through a normal install or update without a human reviewing the change, expanding the blast radius from a single package to every agent workspace that depends on it.
| Package | Affected range |
|---|
Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. Prior to versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final, the HAProxy PROXY protocol v2 codec in netty leaks native or heap memory on every connection when a client sends a syntactically valid header containing nested `PP2_TYPE_SSL` TLVs (type-length-value records) at depth two or greater. The leak occurs on the successful parse path — no exception is thrown, the message fires downstream, the decoder removes itself, and the application releases the `HAProxyMessage` normally. Yet the underlying cumulation buffer (a pooled, potentially direct `ByteBuf` allocated by the channel) remains permanently pinned. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue.
Update io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy to 4.2.15.Final; io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy to 4.1.135.Final if you use the affected versions. Test the change in a non-production environment first.
Local check
hol-guard supply-chain scanNetty HAProxy: Unbalanced Reference Count in Nested PP2_TYPE_SSL TLV Parsing Leads to Memory Exhaustion affects io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy (maven), io.netty:netty-codec-haproxy (maven). Severity is high. Netty is a network application framework for development of protocol servers and clients. Prior to versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final, the HAProxy PROXY protocol v2 codec in netty leaks native or heap memory on every connection when a client sends a syntactically valid header containing nested `PP2_TYPE_SSL` TLVs (type-length-value records) at depth two or greater. The leak occurs on the successful parse path — no exception is thrown, the message fires downstream, the decoder removes itself, and the application releases the `HAProxyMessage` normally. Yet the underlying cumulation buffer (a pooled, potentially direct `ByteBuf` allocated by the channel) remains permanently pinned. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue.
AI coding agents often install or upgrade packages automatically in maven. A high vulnerability in a dependency can be pulled into a project through a normal install or update without a human reviewing the change, expanding the blast radius from a single package to every agent workspace that depends on it.
| Package | Affected range |
|---|
| Fixed version |
|---|
| io.netty:netty-codec-haproxymaven | >=4.2.0.Final,<=4.2.14.Final | 4.2.15.Final |
|---|---|---|
| io.netty:netty-codec-haproxymaven | <=4.1.134.Final | 4.1.135.Final |
Fixed versions are reported by the source feed; confirm compatibility before updating.
Reported by GitHub Security Advisories (ghsa).
HOL Guard can help your team review package activity against supported protection paths.
Explore HOL Guard| Fixed version |
|---|
| io.netty:netty-codec-haproxymaven | >=4.2.0.Final,<=4.2.14.Final | 4.2.15.Final |
|---|---|---|
| io.netty:netty-codec-haproxymaven | <=4.1.134.Final | 4.1.135.Final |
Fixed versions are reported by the source feed; confirm compatibility before updating.
Reported by GitHub Security Advisories (ghsa).
HOL Guard can help your team review package activity against supported protection paths.
Explore HOL Guard