# CVE-2026-50011: Netty memory exhaustion in RedisArrayAggregator

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-50011-netty-memory-exhaustion-in-redisarrayaggregator  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-12. Updated: 2026-06-15  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-50011 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-06-12

Netty is a popular networking framework used by many Java applications to handle data communication. A vulnerability in its Redis protocol component allows a remote attacker to crash the application or cause a denial-of-service by sending a specially crafted message header. This header forces the system to reserve a massive amount of memory instantly, leading to resource exhaustion and potential service outages.

Technologies: [io.netty:netty-codec-redis (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/io-netty-netty-codec-redis), [Netty Project Codec Redis](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/codec-redis). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [Netty Project](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/netty-project).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-50011 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-50011 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-50011?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 12 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** io.netty:netty-codec-redis (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=4.2.0.Final,fixed=4.2.15.Final.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50011?** Yes. io.netty:netty-codec-redis (Maven): upgrade to 4.2.15.Final or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-50011 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-50011?** Check whether you run io.netty:netty-codec-redis (Maven) or Netty Project Codec Redis 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

- io.netty:netty-codec-redis (Maven): upgrade to 4.2.15.Final or later

  ```sh
  # set io.netty:netty-codec-redis to 4.2.15.Final in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```


## Technical details

The RedisArrayAggregator in Netty's Redis codec fails to validate the length field in RESP (Redis Serialization Protocol) array headers before memory allocation. When an ArrayHeaderRedisMessage is received, the aggregator instantiates an ArrayList with an initial capacity equal to the declared length without checking against a maximum limit. While the RedisDecoder enforces a maximum length for bulk strings, it does not apply the same restriction to array headers. An attacker can send a small malicious header declaring a massive array size, triggering an immediate large Object array reservation that can lead to an OutOfMemoryError. This vulnerability is patched in versions 4.1.135.Final and 4.2.15.Final.

## Affected products

- Netty netty-codec-redis >= 4.2.0.Final, <= 4.2.14.Final; <= 4.1.134.Final

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-50011
- GHSA-5w86-c3rq-vjj7

## Timeline

- 2026-06-05: disclosed: Initial disclosure by reporter
- 2026-06-12: advisory: NVD publication date
- 2026-06-15: advisory: GitHub Advisory published

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/violetagg](https://api.github.com/users/violetagg)
- [https://github.com/violetagg](https://github.com/violetagg)
- [https://api.github.com/users/violetagg/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/violetagg/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/violetagg/repos](https://api.github.com/users/violetagg/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/696661?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/696661?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/violetagg/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/violetagg/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [Netty RedisArrayAggregator memory leak in RESP decoding](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56818-netty-redisarrayaggregator-memory-leak-in-resp-decoding)
- [Netty memory exhaustion in RedisArrayAggregator](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48006-netty-memory-exhaustion-in-redisarrayaggregator)
- [Netty memory exhaustion in RedisDecoder](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44890-netty-memory-exhaustion-in-redisdecoder)
- [Netty netty-codec-redis memory exhaustion in RedisArrayAggregator](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44250-netty-netty-codec-redis-memory-exhaustion-in-redisarrayaggregator)
- [Netty Redis codec CRLF injection in RedisEncoder](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-42586-netty-redis-codec-crlf-injection-in-redisencoder)