Application hang via stalled WebSocket auto-pong
Published Jun 7, 2025 · Updated Jun 9, 2025
Denial of service in libcurl 8.13.0 through 8.14.0 allows remote attackers controlling a WebSocket server to hang applications. In lib/ws.c, curl_ws_send retries a blocked auto-pong send without advancing sendbuf_payload, so the callback loop never yields. The application must use libcurl WebSockets with auto-pong enabled and connect to the malicious server; the curl command-line tool is unaffected.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in libcurl 8.13.0 through 8.14.0 allows remote attackers controlling a WebSocket server to hang applications. In lib/ws.c, curl_ws_send retries a blocked auto-pong send without advancing sendbuf_payload, so the callback loop never yields. The application must use libcurl WebSockets with auto-pong enabled and connect to the malicious server; the curl command-line tool is unaffected.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-5399
- Published
- Jun 7, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 9, 2025
- Vendor
- curl
- Product
- curl
- Classifications
- CWE-835, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 9, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=8.13.0 <=8.13.0
- Affected versionversion=8.14.0 <=8.14.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- HackerOne WebSocket busy-loop reportproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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