Summary
Apache CXF allows unrestricted memory consumption in CXF HTTP clients
In versions of Apache CXF before 3.6.4 and 4.0.5 (3.5.x and lower versions are not impacted), a CXF HTTP client conduit may prevent HTTPClient instances from being garbage collected and it is possible that memory consumption will continue to increase, eventually causing the application to run out of memory
Impact
CVE-2024-41172 has a CVSS score of 3.7 (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 (4.0.5, 3.6.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-http to 4.0.5 or later; org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-http to 3.6.4 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-41172? CVE-2024-41172 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-http (maven), affecting versions >= 4.0.0, < 4.0.5. It is fixed in 4.0.5, 3.6.4.
- How severe is CVE-2024-41172? CVE-2024-41172 has a CVSS score of 3.7 (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.
- Which versions of org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-http are affected by CVE-2024-41172? org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-http (maven) versions >= 4.0.0, < 4.0.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-41172? Yes. CVE-2024-41172 is fixed in 4.0.5, 3.6.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-41172 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-41172 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2024-41172 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-41172?
- Upgrade
org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-httpto 4.0.5 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-transports-httpto 3.6.4 or later
- Upgrade