How severe is CVE-2020-7238?

CVE-2020-7238 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 high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-7238 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (88th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-7238?

CVE-2020-7238 primarily affects Netty. In total, 10 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-7238?

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-2020-7238 published?

CVE-2020-7238 was published on 2020-01-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-7238

CVE-2020-7238 is a high-severity vulnerability in Netty 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-444.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (88th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-444
Affected product: Netty
Published: 2020-01-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Netty 4.1.43.Final allows HTTP Request Smuggling because it mishandles Transfer-Encoding whitespace (such as a [space]Transfer-Encoding:chunked line) and a later Content-Length header. This issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2019-16869.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-7238?: Netty 4.1.43.Final allows HTTP Request Smuggling because it mishandles Transfer-Encoding whitespace (such as a [space]Transfer-Encoding:chunked line) and a later Content-Length header. This issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2019-16869.
How severe is CVE-2020-7238?: CVE-2020-7238 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 high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-7238 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (88th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-7238?: CVE-2020-7238 primarily affects Netty. In total, 10 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-7238?: 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-2020-7238 published?: CVE-2020-7238 was published on 2020-01-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (10)

cpe:2.3:a:netty:netty:4.1.43:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:jboss_enterprise_application_platform:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:jboss_enterprise_application_platform:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:jboss_enterprise_application_platform:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:jboss_enterprise_application_platform_text-only_advisories:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_application_runtimes_text-only_advisories:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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