CVE-2026-45300

async-http-client leaks Cookie headers to cross-origin redirect targets. When following a redirect across a security boundary (different origin, or HTTPS→HTTP downgrade), the propagatedHeaders() method in Redirect30xInterceptor.java strips Authorization and Proxy-Authorization headers but does not strip Cookie, so session cookies and other sensitive cookie values are forwarded to the redirect target, which may be attacker-controlled.

Details

The vulnerability is in client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/netty/handler/intercept/Redirect30xInterceptor.java.

The caller computes stripAuth on each redirect:

boolean sameBase    = request.getUri().isSameBase(newUri);
boolean stripAuth   = !sameBase || schemeDowngrade || stripAuthorizationOnRedirect;
// ...
requestBuilder.setHeaders(propagatedHeaders(request, realm, keepBody, stripAuth));

stripAuth is true whenever the redirect crosses an origin, downgrades the scheme, or the caller opted in via AsyncHttpClientConfig#isStripAuthorizationOnRedirect().

In the vulnerable version, propagatedHeaders() only removes Authorization and Proxy-Authorization in that branch, Cookie is left untouched:

private static HttpHeaders propagatedHeaders(Request request, Realm realm, boolean keepBody, boolean stripAuthorization) {
    HttpHeaders headers = request.getHeaders()
            .remove(HOST)
            .remove(CONTENT_LENGTH);

    if (!keepBody) {
        headers.remove(CONTENT_TYPE);
    }

    if (stripAuthorization || (realm != null && (realm.getScheme() == AuthScheme.NTLM
            || realm.getScheme() == AuthScheme.SCRAM_SHA_256))) {
        headers.remove(AUTHORIZATION)
                .remove(PROXY_AUTHORIZATION);
        // BUG: COOKIE is not removed here, so cookies leak across the security boundary.
    }
    return headers;
}

The companion test class RedirectCredentialSecurityTest covers Authorization / Proxy-Authorization stripping on cross-origin redirects and scheme downgrades, but has no coverage for Cookie, which is why the regression went unnoticed.

Proof of concept

import org.asynchttpclient.*;

AsyncHttpClient client = asyncHttpClient();

// trusted-api.com responds 302 -> https://evil.com
Request request = new RequestBuilder("GET")
        .setUrl("https://trusted-api.com/endpoint")
        .setHeader("Cookie", "session=abc123; csrf=xyz789; api_key=secret")
        .setHeader("Authorization", "Bearer token123")
        .build();

client.executeRequest(request).get();

// Request seen by evil.com after the redirect:
//   Authorization: <stripped>
//   Cookie:        session=abc123; csrf=xyz789; api_key=secret   <-- leaked

• Session hijacking, leaked session cookies allow impersonation.
• CSRF token theft, CSRF tokens carried in cookies are disclosed.
• API key theft, API keys stored in cookies are disclosed.
• Privacy, tracking identifiers leak to third-party origins.

Realistic attack paths:

• Open-redirect in a trusted API endpoint.
• Compromised CDN or API gateway injecting redirects.
• MITM on a plaintext hop in the redirect chain.

CVE-2026-45300 has a CVSS score of 7.4 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (3.0.10, 2.15.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Add COOKIE to the headers removed alongside AUTHORIZATION / PROXY_AUTHORIZATION on the security-boundary branch:

if (stripAuthorization) {
    headers.remove(AUTHORIZATION)
            .remove(PROXY_AUTHORIZATION)
            .remove(COOKIE);
} else if (realm != null && (realm.getScheme() == AuthScheme.NTLM
        || realm.getScheme() == AuthScheme.SCRAM_SHA_256)) {
    headers.remove(AUTHORIZATION)
            .remove(PROXY_AUTHORIZATION);
}

Note that the URI-scoped CookieStore will re-add any cookies that legitimately match the new target after propagatedHeaders returns, so legitimate cross-origin sessions tracked by the client are not broken.

Fixed in 3.0.10 and 2.15.0 by commit 3b0e3e9e.

1. What is CVE-2026-45300? CVE-2026-45300 is a high-severity security vulnerability in org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client (maven), affecting versions >= 3.0.0.Beta1, < 3.0.10. It is fixed in 3.0.10, 2.15.0.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-45300? CVE-2026-45300 has a CVSS score of 7.4 (High). 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 org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client are affected by CVE-2026-45300? org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client (maven) versions >= 3.0.0.Beta1, < 3.0.10 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-45300? Yes. CVE-2026-45300 is fixed in 3.0.10, 2.15.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-45300 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-45300 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-2026-45300 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-2026-45300?
   • Upgrade org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client to 3.0.10 or later
   • Upgrade org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client to 2.15.0 or later