PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief
CVE-2026-45536 netty CVE debrief
CVE-2026-45536 is a MEDIUM severity vulnerability in Netty, a network application framework. The vulnerability occurs in the netty_unix_socket_recvFd function, where a peer-sent SCM_RIGHTS cmsg carrying two ints can cause a file descriptor leak. This happens when the application opts into DomainSocketReadMode.FILE_DESCRIPTORS (non-default) via Epoll/KQueue DomainSocketChannel. The issue is patched in versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final.
- Vendor
- netty
- Product
- Unknown
- CVSS
- MEDIUM 4
- CISA KEV
- Not listed in stored evidence
- Original CVE published
- 2026-06-12
- Original CVE updated
- 2026-06-15
- Advisory published
- 2026-06-12
- Advisory updated
- 2026-06-15
Who should care
Users of Netty versions prior to 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final who utilize Epoll/KQueue DomainSocketChannel with DomainSocketReadMode.FILE_DESCRIPTORS enabled.
Technical summary
The netty_unix_socket_recvFd function sets msg_control to a buffer of size 24 bytes on 64-bit Linux. A peer-sent SCM_RIGHTS cmsg carrying two ints has a length that fits exactly in this buffer, causing the kernel to install both fds in the receiving process. However, the subsequent check for cmsg_len fails, skipping the branch that would read the fd, and neither installed fd is closed. This results in two leaked fds per message.
Defensive priority
MEDIUM
Recommended defensive actions
- Upgrade to Netty version 4.1.135.Final or 4.2.15.Final or later.
- Avoid using DomainSocketReadMode.FILE_DESCRIPTORS with Epoll/KQueue DomainSocketChannel if possible.
Evidence notes
The vulnerability is reachable via Epoll/KQueue DomainSocketChannel when the application opts into DomainSocketReadMode.FILE_DESCRIPTORS. Versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final patch the issue. [ref-4], [ref-5], [ref-6]
Sources and references
Verified primary and authoritative sources
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CVE-2026-45536 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45536
CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
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CVE-2026-45536 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45536
NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.
Supplemental references
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/netty/netty/releases/tag/netty-4.1.135.Final
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/netty/netty/releases/tag/netty-4.2.15.Final
-
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/netty/netty/security/advisories/GHSA-w573-9ffj-6ff9
Methodology and review provenance
AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.