CVE-2026-82435
Apache Storm Worker: Unauthenticated Remote Memory Exhaustion in the Worker Messaging Decoder
Description
The worker's Netty message decoder is installed ahead of the SASL authentication handlers in the pipeline and acts on frames before any authentication has taken place. It allocated buffers sized from a length field carried in the frame, so a single frame from an unauthenticated peer able to reach a worker slot port could drive a large allocation.
storm.messaging.netty.authentication defaults to false, and the decoder runs before the handler that
enforces it in any case, so no credentials are required. The attacker needs only TCP reachability to a
worker port.
The effect of a single frame at the default 768 MB worker heap has not been measured to distinguish sustained worker loss from transient garbage-collection pressure. The severity assigned to this advisory reflects the more conservative reading; consumers who require a precise figure should test against their own worker heap configuration.
Mitigation
Upgrade to 3.1.0, where frames are decoded only after the handshake completes.
Users who cannot upgrade immediately should ensure that worker slot ports are reachable only from within the
cluster, as the security model already recommends, and should enable
storm.messaging.netty.authentication where the deployment permits it.
Credit
The ASF -- found using Claude agents to study the security of open-source projects, validated and reported by Apache Storm.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
9.8
Apache Storm Worker: Unauthenticated Remote Memory Exhaustion in the Worker Messaging Decoder
Description
The worker's Netty message decoder is installed ahead of the SASL authentication handlers in the pipeline and acts on frames before any authentication has taken place. It allocated buffers sized from a length field carried in the frame, so a single frame from an unauthenticated peer able to reach a worker slot port could drive a large allocation.
storm.messaging.netty.authentication defaults to false, and the decoder runs before the handler that
enforces it in any case, so no credentials are required. The attacker needs only TCP reachability to a
worker port.
The effect of a single frame at the default 768 MB worker heap has not been measured to distinguish sustained worker loss from transient garbage-collection pressure. The severity assigned to this advisory reflects the more conservative reading; consumers who require a precise figure should test against their own worker heap configuration.
Mitigation
Upgrade to 3.1.0, where frames are decoded only after the handshake completes.
Users who cannot upgrade immediately should ensure that worker slot ports are reachable only from within the
cluster, as the security model already recommends, and should enable
storm.messaging.netty.authentication where the deployment permits it.
Credit
The ASF -- found using Claude agents to study the security of open-source projects, validated and reported by Apache Storm.
- Record
CVE-2026-82435- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-789
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-77517
9.8
Description
The worker's Netty message decoder is installed ahead of the SASL authentication handlers in the pipeline and acts on frames before any authentication has taken place. It allocated buffers sized from a length field carried in the frame, so a single frame from an unauthenticated peer able to reach a worker slot port could drive a large allocation.
storm.messaging.netty.authentication defaults to false, and the decoder runs before the handler that
enforces it in any case, so no credentials are required. The attacker needs only TCP reachability to a
worker port.
The effect of a single frame at the default 768 MB worker heap has not been measured to distinguish sustained worker loss from transient garbage-collection pressure. The severity assigned to this advisory reflects the more conservative reading; consumers who require a precise figure should test against their own worker heap configuration.
Mitigation
Upgrade to 3.1.0, where frames are decoded only after the handshake completes.
Users who cannot upgrade immediately should ensure that worker slot ports are reachable only from within the
cluster, as the security model already recommends, and should enable
storm.messaging.netty.authentication where the deployment permits it.
Credit
The ASF -- found using Claude agents to study the security of open-source projects, validated and reported by Apache Storm.
- Record
EUVD-2026-77517- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-3mpj-29mm-p7wr
9.8
Description The worker's Netty message decoder is installed ahead of the SASL authentication...
Description
The worker's Netty message decoder is installed ahead of the SASL authentication handlers in the pipeline and acts on frames before any authentication has taken place. It allocated buffers sized from a length field carried in the frame, so a single frame from an unauthenticated peer able to reach a worker slot port could drive a large allocation.
storm.messaging.netty.authentication defaults to false, and the decoder runs before the handler that
enforces it in any case, so no credentials are required. The attacker needs only TCP reachability to a
worker port.
The effect of a single frame at the default 768 MB worker heap has not been measured to distinguish sustained worker loss from transient garbage-collection pressure. The severity assigned to this advisory reflects the more conservative reading; consumers who require a precise figure should test against their own worker heap configuration.
Mitigation
Upgrade to 3.1.0, where frames are decoded only after the handshake completes.
Users who cannot upgrade immediately should ensure that worker slot ports are reachable only from within the
cluster, as the security model already recommends, and should enable
storm.messaging.netty.authentication where the deployment permits it.
Credit
The ASF -- found using Claude agents to study the security of open-source projects, validated and reported by Apache Storm.
- Record
GHSA-3mpj-29mm-p7wr- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-789
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
9.8
Description
The worker's Netty message decoder is installed ahead of the SASL authentication handlers in the pipeline and acts on frames before any authentication has taken place. It allocated buffers sized from a length field carried in the frame, so a single frame from an unauthenticated peer able to reach a worker slot port could drive a large allocation.
storm.messaging.netty.authentication defaults to false, and the decoder runs before the handler that
enforces it in any case, so no credentials are required. The attacker needs only TCP reachability to a
worker port.
The effect of a single frame at the default 768 MB worker heap has not been measured to distinguish sustained worker loss from transient garbage-collection pressure. The severity assigned to this advisory reflects the more conservative reading; consumers who require a precise figure should test against their own worker heap configuration.
Mitigation
Upgrade to 3.1.0, where frames are decoded only after the handshake completes.
Users who cannot upgrade immediately should ensure that worker slot ports are reachable only from within the
cluster, as the security model already recommends, and should enable
storm.messaging.netty.authentication where the deployment permits it.
Credit
The ASF -- found using Claude agents to study the security of open-source projects, validated and reported by Apache Storm.
- Record
CVE-2026-82435- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-789
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-82435 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Apache Software Foundation Storm Worker, published September 14, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.65%, the 51st percentile. No source names a fixed version.