How severe is CVE-2019-18838?

CVE-2019-18838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-18838 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (80th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-18838?

CVE-2019-18838 affects Envoyproxy Envoy. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-18838?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-18838 published?

CVE-2019-18838 was published on 2019-12-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-18838

CVE-2019-18838 is a high-severity vulnerability in Envoyproxy Envoy with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (80th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Envoyproxy Envoy
Published: 2019-12-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Envoy 1.12.0. Upon receipt of a malformed HTTP request without a Host header, it sends an internally generated "Invalid request" response. This internally generated response is dispatched through the configured encoder filter chain before being sent to the client. An encoder filter that invokes route manager APIs that access a request's Host header causes a NULL pointer dereference, resulting in abnormal termination of the Envoy process.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-18838?: An issue was discovered in Envoy 1.12.0. Upon receipt of a malformed HTTP request without a Host header, it sends an internally generated "Invalid request" response. This internally generated response is dispatched through the configured encoder filter chain before being sent to the client. An encoder filter that invokes route manager APIs that access a request's Host header causes a NULL pointer dereference, resulting in abnormal termination of the Envoy process.
How severe is CVE-2019-18838?: CVE-2019-18838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-18838 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (80th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-18838?: CVE-2019-18838 affects Envoyproxy Envoy. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-18838?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-18838 published?: CVE-2019-18838 was published on 2019-12-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:envoyproxy:envoy:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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