{ "dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": { "cveId": "CVE-2026-23943", "assignerOrgId": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "EEF", "dateReserved": "2026-01-19T14:23:14.343Z", "datePublished": "2026-03-13T09:11:57.794Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-07-24T14:15:38.635Z" }, "containers": { "cna": { "affected": [ { "cpes": [ "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*" ], "defaultStatus": "unknown", "modules": [ "ssh_transport" ], "packageName": "ssh", "packageURL": "pkg:otp/ssh?repository_url=https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Ferlang%2Fotp&vcs_url=git%20https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Ferlang%2Fotp.git", "product": "OTP", "programFiles": [ "src/ssh_transport.erl" ], "programRoutines": [ { "name": "ssh_transport:decompress/2" }, { "name": "ssh_transport:handle_packet_part/4" } ], "repo": "https://github.com/erlang/otp", "vendor": "Erlang", "versions": [ { "changes": [ { "at": "5.5.1", "status": "unaffected" }, { "at": "5.2.11.6", "status": "unaffected" }, { "at": "5.1.4.14", "status": "unaffected" } ], "lessThan": "*", "status": "affected", "version": "3.0.1", "versionType": "otp" } ] }, { "collectionURL": "https://github.com", "cpes": [ "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*" ], "defaultStatus": "unknown", "modules": [ "ssh_transport" ], "packageName": "erlang/otp", "packageURL": "pkg:github/erlang/otp", "product": "OTP", "programFiles": [ "lib/ssh/src/ssh_transport.erl" ], "programRoutines": [ { "name": "ssh_transport:decompress/2" }, { "name": "ssh_transport:handle_packet_part/4" } ], "repo": "https://github.com/erlang/otp", "vendor": "Erlang", "versions": [ { "changes": [ { "at": "28.4.1", "status": "unaffected" }, { "at": "27.3.4.9", "status": "unaffected" }, { "at": "26.2.5.18", "status": "unaffected" } ], "lessThan": "*", "status": "affected", "version": "17.0", "versionType": "otp" }, { "changes": [ { "at": "43a87b949bdff12d629a8c34146711d9da93b1b1", "status": "unaffected" }, { "at": "93073c3bd338c60cd2bae715ce6a1d4ffc1a8fd3", "status": "unaffected" }, { "at": "0c1c04b191f6ab940e8fcfabce39eb5a8a6440a4", "status": "unaffected" } ], "lessThan": "*", "status": "affected", "version": "07b8f441ca711f9812fad9e9115bab3c3aa92f79", "versionType": "git" } ] } ], "configurations": [ { "lang": "en", "supportingMedia": [ { "base64": false, "type": "text/html", "value": "The SSH server or client must advertise zlib or zlib@openssh.com compression. Both are enabled by default. With zlib, the attack is pre-authentication; with zlib@openssh.com, authentication is required first." } ], "value": "The SSH server or client must advertise zlib or zlib@openssh.com compression. Both are enabled by default. With zlib, the attack is pre-authentication; with zlib@openssh.com, authentication is required first." } ], "cpeApplicability": [ { "nodes": [ { "cpeMatch": [ { "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "26.2.5.18", "vulnerable": true }, { "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "27.3.4.9", "versionStartIncluding": "27.0", "vulnerable": true }, { "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "28.4.1", "versionStartIncluding": "28.0", "vulnerable": true } ], "negate": false, "operator": "OR" } ], "operator": "AND" } ], "credits": [ { "lang": "en", "type": "finder", "value": "Igor Morgenstern / Aisle Research" }, { "lang": "en", "type": "remediation developer", "value": "Michał Wąsowski" }, { "lang": "en", "type": "remediation reviewer", "value": "Jakub Witczak" } ], "descriptions": [ { "lang": "en", "supportingMedia": [ { "base64": false, "type": "text/html", "value": "Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Compression Bomb) vulnerability in Erlang OTP ssh (ssh_transport modules) allows Denial of Service via Resource Depletion.
The SSH transport layer advertises legacy zlib compression by default and inflates attacker-controlled payloads pre-authentication without any size limit, enabling reliable memory exhaustion DoS.
Two compression algorithms are affected:
Each SSH packet can decompress ~255 MB from 256 KB of wire data (1029:1 amplification ratio). Multiple packets can rapidly exhaust available memory, causing OOM kills in memory-constrained environments.
This vulnerability is associated with program files lib/ssh/src/ssh_transport.erl and program routines ssh_transport:decompress/2, ssh_transport:handle_packet_part/4.
This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 28.4.1, OTP 27.3.4.9 and OTP 26.2.5.18, corresponding to ssh from 3.0.1 before 5.5.1, 5.2.11.6 and 5.1.4.14.
" } ], "value": "Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Compression Bomb) vulnerability in Erlang OTP ssh (ssh_transport modules) allows Denial of Service via Resource Depletion.\n\nThe SSH transport layer advertises legacy zlib compression by default and inflates attacker-controlled payloads pre-authentication without any size limit, enabling reliable memory exhaustion DoS.\n\nTwo compression algorithms are affected:\n\n* zlib: Activates immediately after key exchange, enabling unauthenticated attacks\n* zlib@openssh.com: Activates post-authentication, enabling authenticated attacks\n\nEach SSH packet can decompress ~255 MB from 256 KB of wire data (1029:1 amplification ratio). Multiple packets can rapidly exhaust available memory, causing OOM kills in memory-constrained environments.\n\nThis vulnerability is associated with program files lib/ssh/src/ssh_transport.erl and program routines ssh_transport:decompress/2, ssh_transport:handle_packet_part/4.\n\nThis issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 28.4.1, OTP 27.3.4.9 and OTP 26.2.5.18, corresponding to ssh from 3.0.1 before 5.5.1, 5.2.11.6 and 5.1.4.14." } ], "impacts": [ { "capecId": "CAPEC-130", "descriptions": [ { "lang": "en", "value": "CAPEC-130 Excessive Allocation" } ] }, { "capecId": "CAPEC-490", "descriptions": [ { "lang": "en", "value": "CAPEC-490 Amplification" } ] } ], "metrics": [ { "cvssV4_0": { "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED", "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED", "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "NONE", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "baseScore": 6.9, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "userInteraction": "NONE", "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N", "version": "4.0", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "LOW", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED" }, "format": "CVSS", "scenarios": [ { "lang": "en", "value": "GENERAL" } ] } ], "problemTypes": [ { "descriptions": [ { "cweId": "CWE-409", "description": "CWE-409 Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data (Data Amplification)", "lang": "en", "type": "CWE" } ] } ], "providerMetadata": { "orgId": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db", "shortName": "EEF", "dateUpdated": "2026-07-24T14:15:38.635Z" }, "references": [ { "tags": [ "vendor-advisory", "related" ], "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-c836-qprm-jw9r" }, { "tags": [ "related" ], "url": "https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-23943.html" }, { "tags": [ "related" ], "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-23943" }, { "tags": [ "x_version-scheme" ], "url": "https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versions" }, { "tags": [ "patch" ], "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/43a87b949bdff12d629a8c34146711d9da93b1b1" }, { "tags": [ "patch" ], "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/93073c3bd338c60cd2bae715ce6a1d4ffc1a8fd3" }, { "tags": [ "patch" ], "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/0c1c04b191f6ab940e8fcfabce39eb5a8a6440a4" } ], "source": { "discovery": "EXTERNAL" }, "title": "Pre-auth SSH DoS via unbounded zlib inflate", "workarounds": [ { "lang": "en", "supportingMedia": [ { "base64": false, "type": "text/html", "value": "Best workaround - Disable all compression:
{preferred_algorithms, [{compression, ['none']}]}Alternative mitigations (less secure):
{modify_algorithms, [{rm, [{compression, ['zlib']}]}]}{max_sessions, N} % Cap total concurrent sessions (default is infinity)