Netty 4.2.0-4.2.13 Final EPOLL CPU Busy-Loop
CVE-2026-42577 Published on May 13, 2026
Netty: epoll transport denial of service via RST on half-closed TCP connection
Netty is an asynchronous, event-driven network application framework. From 4.2.0.Final to 4.2.13.Final , Netty's epoll transport fails to detect and close TCP connections that receive a RST after being half-closed, leading to stale channels that are never cleaned up and, in some code paths, a 100% CPU busy-loop in the event loop thread. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.13.Final.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-42577 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity, and a high impact on availability.
Weakness Type
Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime
The software does not release a resource after its effective lifetime has ended, i.e., after the resource is no longer needed. When a resource is not released after use, it can allow attackers to cause a denial of service by causing the allocation of resources without triggering their release. Frequently-affected resources include memory, CPU, disk space, power or battery, etc.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-42577
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