# CVE-2026-113440: hackney insufficiently protected credentials in redirect

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-113440-insufficiently-protected-credentials-vulnerability-in-hackney-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-26. Updated: 2026-10-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-113440 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-26

hackney is an HTTP client library used in Erlang applications. When follow_redirect is enabled, a malicious server can trick the client into sending authentication credentials and cookies in cleartext by redirecting traffic from HTTPS to HTTP on the same hostname, or to a different port on the same host, allowing an attacker to intercept sensitive credentials.

Technologies: [Benoitc Hackney](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/benoitc-hackney). Vendors: [Benoitc](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/benoitc).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-113440 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-113440 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-113440?** Informational severity, published 26 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Benoitc Hackney 2.0.0 before 4.9.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-113440?** Yes: fixed in 4.9.0. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-113440 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-113440?** Check whether you run Benoitc Hackney at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 4.9.0

## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in hackney's redirect handling: hackney:follow_redirect/10 reissues requests to the Location target after calling hackney:maybe_strip_auth_on_redirect/3, which only compares hostnames but fails to validate scheme changes or port changes. Authorization and Cookie headers are preserved across same-host redirects from HTTPS to HTTP or to alternate ports, exposing credentials in cleartext or to unintended services. The location_trusted option forwards credentials to any target by design and is not affected by this fix.

## Affected products

- benoitc hackney 2.0.0 before 4.9.0

## Timeline

- 2026-10-26: disclosed

## References

- [https://repo.hex.pm/](https://repo.hex.pm/)
- [https://github.com/](https://github.com/)

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