Description
h3 versions before 2.0.1-rc.18 fail to validate the chunk count parsed from user-controlled cookie values in setChunkedCookie() and deleteChunkedCookie() functions. Attackers can send a crafted cookie header with an extremely large chunk count to trigger an O(n²) cleanup loop that hangs the server process.
Published: 2026-09-06
Score: 8.7 High
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

The flaw allows an attacker to send a cookie header with an astronomically large chunk count that is parsed by setChunkedCookie() and deleteChunkedCookie() in h3. The library then enters an O(n²) cleanup loop during the cookie processing phase, causing the server process that runs h3 to hang and become unresponsive. This results in a denial of service to legitimate users. The weakness corresponds to improper input validation for a numeric value, which is reflected in the CWE-400 classification.

Affected Systems

h3js’s h3 library, any deployment of h3 prior to version 2.0.1‑rc.18. No other version restrictions are specified in the CNA data. The vulnerability applies to all installations using the affected functions for cookie handling.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 8.7 marks this as a high‑severity defect. EPSS data is not available, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, suggesting that while the likelihood of exploitation is uncertain, the potential impact is serious. Attacks require the ability to provide a malicious HTTP request containing the crafted cookie; authentication is not needed. The attack vector is therefore inferred to be an unauthenticated remote HTTP request that the server will process normally. Successful exploitation will lead to a server hang, causing service degradation or outage until the process is restarted.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 6, 2026 at 13:24 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Upgrade h3 to version 2.0.1‑rc.18 or later to eliminate the unbounded chunk count parse path.
  • If an upgrade cannot be applied immediately, modify the application or reverse proxy to reject or truncate cookies that exceed a safe chunk count threshold, thereby preventing the O(n²) cleanup loop.
  • Enable monitoring of CPU usage and server responsiveness to detect hanging conditions, and plan for a timely application of the patch once it becomes available.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 6, 2026 at 13:24 UTC.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared H3js
H3js h3
Vendors & Products H3js
H3js h3

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description h3 versions before 2.0.1-rc.18 fail to validate the chunk count parsed from user-controlled cookie values in setChunkedCookie() and deleteChunkedCookie() functions. Attackers can send a crafted cookie header with an extremely large chunk count to trigger an O(n²) cleanup loop that hangs the server process.
Title h3 before 2.0.1-rc.18 Denial of Service via Unbounded Chunked Cookie
Weaknesses CWE-400
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}


Subscriptions

No data.

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: VulnCheck

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-06T12:00:26.211Z

Reserved: 2026-09-06T11:35:19.316Z

Link: CVE-2026-86250

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-06T12:17:15.767

Modified: 2026-09-06T12:17:15.767

Link: CVE-2026-86250

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-06T13:30:07Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-400

    Uncontrolled Resource Consumption