CVE-2016-1544Network attack vector

Remote application crash via unlimited header accumulation

Published Feb 6, 2020 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

Uncontrolled resource consumption in nghttp2 before 1.7.1 allows remote attackers to crash affected applications via crafted HTTP/2 frames. nghttpd, nghttp, and libnghttp2_asio applications accumulate unlimited decoded header data when compressed HEADERS and CONTINUATION frames repeatedly reference a stored large field. Any unauthenticated network peer that can establish an HTTP/2 connection can exhaust memory and terminate the affected process; libnghttp2 itself is not affected.

CVSS severity3.3
Low
EPSS probability0.89%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in nghttp2 before 1.7.1 allows remote attackers to crash affected applications via crafted HTTP/2 frames. nghttpd, nghttp, and libnghttp2_asio applications accumulate unlimited decoded header data when compressed HEADERS and CONTINUATION frames repeatedly reference a stored large field. Any unauthenticated network peer that can establish an HTTP/2 connection can exhaust memory and terminate the affected process; libnghttp2 itself is not affected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2016-1544
Published
Feb 6, 2020
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
nghttp2
Product
nghttp2
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 6, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=before 1.7.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

nghttp2 · nghttp2version=before 1.7.1

Published CVSS scores

2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
3.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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