CVE-2022-21700

Memory leak in micronaut-core

package example;

import java.util.List;
import io.micronaut.context.annotation.Replaces;
import io.micronaut.core.convert.ConversionService;
import io.micronaut.http.MediaType;
import io.micronaut.http.bind.DefaultRequestBinderRegistry;
import io.micronaut.http.bind.binders.RequestArgumentBinder;
import jakarta.inject.Singleton;

@Singleton
@Replaces(DefaultRequestBinderRegistry.class)
class FixedRequestBinderRegistry extends DefaultRequestBinderRegistry {

    public FixedRequestBinderRegistry(ConversionService conversionService,
                                      List<RequestArgumentBinder> binders) {
        super(conversionService, binders);
    }

    @Override
    protected void registerDefaultConverters(ConversionService<?> conversionService) {
        super.registerDefaultConverters(conversionService);
        conversionService.addConverter(CharSequence.class, MediaType.class, charSequence -> {
            try {
                return MediaType.of(charSequence);
            } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
                return null;
            }
        });
    }
}

Sending an invalid Content Type header leads to memory leak in DefaultArgumentConversionContext as this type is erroneously used in static state.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2022-21700 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.2.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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The problem is patched in Micronaut 3.2.7 and above.

1. What is CVE-2022-21700? CVE-2022-21700 is a medium-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in io.micronaut:micronaut-http (maven), affecting versions < 3.2.7. It is fixed in 3.2.7. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-21700? CVE-2022-21700 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of io.micronaut:micronaut-http are affected by CVE-2022-21700? io.micronaut:micronaut-http (maven) versions < 3.2.7 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-21700? Yes. CVE-2022-21700 is fixed in 3.2.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-21700 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-21700 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-21700 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-21700? Upgrade io.micronaut:micronaut-http to 3.2.7 or later.