CVE-2026-48006

Netty's Lack of Lifecycle Cleanup Leads to Pooled ByteBuf Leak in RedisArrayAggregator

The RedisArrayAggregator handler permanently leaks pooled direct-memory buffers when a Redis pipeline connection closes before a RESP array aggregate completes. The handler retains child messages in per-handler state (depths field) but defines no channelInactive, handlerRemoved, or exceptionCaught method to release them when the pipeline tears down. Because the leaked buffers are slices of PooledByteBufAllocator chunks, they prevent those chunks from being returned to the JVM-wide direct-memory pool. Repeated connection churn by any network peer monotonically drains this shared pool, eventually causing allocation failures on all Netty channels in the process.

CVE-2026-48006 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). 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 (4.2.15.Final, 4.1.135.Final); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2026-48006? CVE-2026-48006 is a high-severity security vulnerability in io.netty:netty-codec-redis (maven), affecting versions >= 4.2.0.Final, <= 4.2.14.Final. It is fixed in 4.2.15.Final, 4.1.135.Final.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-48006? CVE-2026-48006 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 io.netty:netty-codec-redis are affected by CVE-2026-48006? io.netty:netty-codec-redis (maven) versions >= 4.2.0.Final, <= 4.2.14.Final is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48006? Yes. CVE-2026-48006 is fixed in 4.2.15.Final, 4.1.135.Final. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-48006 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48006 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-2026-48006 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-2026-48006?
   • Upgrade io.netty:netty-codec-redis to 4.2.15.Final or later
   • Upgrade io.netty:netty-codec-redis to 4.1.135.Final or later

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