In Go versions prior to 1.18.6 and 1.19.x before 1.19.1, a high-severity denial-of-service vulnerability exists in the net/http package. This vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial of service due to the inability of an HTTP/2 connection to close properly when the shutdown is interrupted by a fatal error. With a CVSS score of 7.5, this vulnerability can significantly impact the availability of services running affected versions of Go.
Risk to organizations includes potential service outages, which could disrupt operations and lead to reputational damage. As the vulnerability is tied to network interactions, attackers can exploit it remotely without any required privileges or user interaction. Organizations that utilize Go in their applications must take this vulnerability seriously and prioritize its remediation.
Currently, there are no known exploits or proof-of-concept code available for this vulnerability. However, organizations should not rely on this absence to defer remediation. It is crucial to patch affected systems promptly to mitigate any potential risk.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to protect against potential denial of service attacks resulting from this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability described in CVE-2022-27664 affects the net/http package in Go programming language versions prior to 1.18.6 and 1.19.x prior to 1.19.1. The official CVE description notes that an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service when an HTTP/2 connection hangs during the closing process due to a fatal error interrupting the shutdown.
This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.5, marking it as a high-severity issue. The attack vector is classified as NETWORK, indicating it can be exploited remotely. The attack complexity is rated as LOW, meaning that exploiting the vulnerability does not require sophisticated techniques. Importantly, no privileges are required to exploit this issue, and user interaction is not necessary.
The impact on availability is rated as HIGH, which indicates that successful exploitation could lead to significant service outages. The vulnerability was published on September 6, 2022, and is categorized under the CWE classification of denial of service.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the handling of HTTP/2 connection shutdowns within the Go programming language. Specifically, if a fatal error occurs during the shutdown process, the connection can become unresponsive, leading to a denial of service.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, allowing attackers to exploit it through malicious HTTP requests. The complexity is low, meaning that attackers do not require special access or knowledge to execute the attack. Furthermore, the exploitation does not require any privileges or user interaction, making it easier for attackers to target vulnerable applications.
The vulnerability's impact on availability is severe, with the potential to disrupt services relying on affected versions of Go. There are no impacts on confidentiality or integrity, as the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or alter data stored in the system.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Organizations utilizing versions of Go affected by this vulnerability face significant risks. The potential for service outages can disrupt business operations and affect customer trust. Given the increasing reliance on web services, the availability of these services is critical for operational integrity.
With a CVSS score of 7.5, the urgency for organizations to address this vulnerability is high. The low attack complexity and lack of privilege requirements mean that even less sophisticated attackers could exploit this vulnerability, increasing the risk for organizations that do not act swiftly.
Organizations should assess their deployment of Go and prioritize remediation actions, particularly in environments where HTTP/2 is in use. The potential blast radius of this vulnerability can encompass critical services, making immediate action essential.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The following versions of Go and Fedora are affected by this vulnerability:
Go versions prior to 1.18.6 and 1.19.x prior to 1.19.1 are vulnerable. Additionally, Fedora versions 36 and 37 are also affected.
Mitigation & Remediation
To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should upgrade to Go version 1.18.6 or 1.19.1 and ensure that all systems running affected versions of Fedora are also updated. Regularly applying security patches is critical to maintaining the integrity of systems.
If immediate upgrades are not feasible, consider implementing network controls to limit exposure to the affected services and monitor for any unusual activity that may indicate exploitation attempts.
Organizations should validate remediation through penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for abnormal connection behaviors, particularly during the shutdown process of HTTP/2 connections. Look for patterns of connection failures or timeouts that could indicate issues with the HTTP/2 handling.
Behavioral anomalies that deviate from normal traffic patterns should be investigated. Network signatures related to HTTP/2 traffic can also be valuable in identifying potential exploitation attempts.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2022-27664 highlights the critical nature of secure coding practices within widely used programming languages like Go. This vulnerability represents a trend where denial-of-service vulnerabilities can arise from seemingly minor oversights in connection handling.
Security teams should take this as a lesson to conduct thorough code reviews and implement rigorous testing practices, particularly around network protocols and error handling.
Organizations can benefit from adopting defensive strategies, such as regular security assessments and red teaming services, to identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
By fostering a culture of security awareness and continuous improvement, organizations can better prepare themselves against potential threats similar to CVE-2022-27664.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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