Apache HTTP Server mod_http2 CONTINUATION Frame Memory Exhaustion DoS
CVE-2016-8740 is a denial-of-service flaw in Apache HTTP Server's mod_http2 module affecting versions 2.4.17 through 2.4.23 when HTTP/2 is enabled via the Protocols directive including h2 or h2c. In the vulnerable implementation, request-header length is not properly restricted during processing of HTTP/2 CONTINUATION frames. A remote client can send crafted HTTP/2 requests containing excessive or effectively unbounded header continuation data, causing the server to allocate memory without adequate limits. The issue is specifically tied to handling of CONTINUATION frames in an HTTP/2 request and results in resource exhaustion rather than code execution.
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Impact, mitigation & remediation
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
Impact
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
Mitigation
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Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
Exploits
No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.
All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.
Affected products & vendors
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
Recent activity
6 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
An HTTP/2 Slowloris-style denial-of-service issue tied to continuation frames and manipulated flow-control windows.
A Slowloris-style denial-of-service issue involving keeping legitimate connections open as long as possible to exhaust server resources.
A denial-of-service vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server via crafted CONTINUATION frames in an HTTP/2 connection.
A prior related vulnerability referenced in connection with HTTP/2/HPACK denial-of-service issues.
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.