request smuggling in async-h1
Description
async-h1 is an asynchronous HTTP/1.1 parser for Rust (crates.io). There is a request smuggling vulnerability in async-h1 before version 2.3.0. This vulnerability affects any webserver that uses async-h1 behind a reverse proxy, including all such Tide applications. If the server does not read the body of a request which is longer than some buffer length, async-h1 will attempt to read a subsequent request from the body content starting at that offset into the body. One way to exploit this vulnerability would be for an adversary to craft a request such that the body contains a request that would not be noticed by a reverse proxy, allowing it to forge forwarded/x-forwarded headers. If an application trusted the authenticity of these headers, it could be misled by the smuggled request. Another potential concern with this vulnerability is that if a reverse proxy is sending multiple http clients' requests along the same keep-alive connection, it would be possible for the smuggled request to specify a long content and capture another user's request in its body. This content could be captured in a post request to an endpoint that allows the content to be subsequently retrieved by the adversary. This has been addressed in async-h1 2.3.0 and previous versions have been yanked.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
async-h1 before 2.3.0 has a request smuggling vulnerability that allows an attacker to forge headers or capture other users' requests when the server does not fully read the body.
Root
Cause async-h1, an asynchronous HTTP/1.1 parser for Rust, fails to properly consume request bodies that exceed a buffer length. When the server does not read the entire body, async-h1 interprets subsequent bytes as a new request, enabling request smuggling [1][2].
Exploitation
An attacker can send a request with a body containing a smuggled request. A reverse proxy may not see the embedded request, allowing the attacker to forge forwarded headers like X-Forwarded-For [1][4]. Additionally, on shared keep-alive connections, a smuggled request with a large Content-Length can capture another client's request in its body, which could be exfiltrated via a POST endpoint [1][3].
Impact
This can lead to header manipulation, potentially bypassing access controls based on trusted headers, or stealing sensitive data from other users' requests. All Tide applications using async-h1 behind a reverse proxy are affected [2].
Mitigation
Fixed in async-h1 2.3.0, and all previous versions have been yanked. No workarounds are available, so upgrading is required [2][4].
AI Insight generated on May 21, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected packages
Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.
| Package | Affected versions | Patched versions |
|---|---|---|
async-h1crates.io | < 2.3.0 | 2.3.0 |
Affected products
2- http-rs/async-h1v5Range: < 2.3.0
Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
Vulnerability mechanics
AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.
References
5- github.com/advisories/GHSA-4vr9-8cjf-vf9cghsaADVISORY
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-26281ghsaADVISORY
- github.com/http-rs/async-h1/releases/tag/v2.3.0ghsax_refsource_MISCWEB
- github.com/http-rs/async-h1/security/advisories/GHSA-4vr9-8cjf-vf9cghsax_refsource_CONFIRMWEB
- rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2020-0093.htmlghsaWEB
News mentions
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