# CVE-2026-41207: netty-incubator-codec-ohttp's HPKEContext operations may produce empty byte[] on failures

> A flaw in Netty's OHTTP codec allows silent failures to produce all-zero cryptographic keys, enabling attackers to predict AEAD keys and bypass encryption.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 8 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f659-372h-6x3x

## What is CVE-2026-41207?

CVE-2026-41207 is a medium-severity vulnerability in netty-incubator-codec-ohttp, published on 4 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The netty incubator codec.bhttp is a java language binary http parser. Prior to version 0.0.21.Final, HKDF_expand returns non-NULL on failure. The byte[] is filled with zeros and has no way to distinguish success from failure. Since this output is used as HKDF key material for the response AEAD, a  failure silently produces an all-zero key. When EVP_HPKE_CTX_export fails it also returns an empty byte[] array filled with zeros. This byte[] feeds directly into OHttpCrypto.createResponseAEAD(...).  A silent all-zero export secret would produce a deterministic, attacker-predictable AEAD key. Version 0.0.21.Final patches the issue.

Weakness: CWE-330 (Use of Insufficiently Random Values)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41207?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including io.netty.incubator:netty-incubator-codec-ohttp. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `io.netty.incubator:netty-incubator-codec-ohttp` | Maven | All versions | 0.0.21.Final |
| `io.netty.incubator:netty-incubator-codec-ohttp` | Maven | All versions | 0.0.21.Final |

Products: Netty Netty-Incubator-Codec-Ohttp.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-41207?

Upgrade io.netty.incubator:netty-incubator-codec-ohttp to 0.0.21.Final or later.

## Is CVE-2026-41207 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41207 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in netty-incubator-codec-ohttp

- [CVE-2024-40642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-40642/): Absent Input Validation in BinaryHttpParser in the netty incubator codec.bhttp (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2026-48040](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48040/): netty-incubator-codec-ohttp's Incorrect Native Pointer Derivation in Pooled Direct ByteBuf Fallback Leads to Out-of-Bounds Native Memory Access (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2024-36121](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36121/): netty-incubator-codec-ohttp's BoringSSLAEADContext Repeats Nonces (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41207 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-41207 is a medium-severity vulnerability in netty-incubator-codec-ohttp, published on 4 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41207 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- io.netty.incubator:netty-incubator-codec-ohttp (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.21.Final
- io.netty.incubator:netty-incubator-codec-ohttp (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.21.Final

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41207/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41207/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41207
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41207
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41207

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41207/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.