# CVE-2026-53717: Envoy Proxy Envoy Gateway DoS via excessive memory allocation in OCI extraction

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53717-envoy-proxy-envoy-gateway-dos-via-excessive-memory-allocation-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-14. Updated: 2026-07-16  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-53717 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-09-14

Envoy Gateway is a tool used to manage network traffic and security policies in cloud environments. A vulnerability in how it handles container image layers allows an attacker to crash the management controller by providing a specially crafted image. This results in a persistent denial-of-service, preventing administrators from managing their network traffic until the system is patched.

Technologies: [github.com/envoyproxy/gateway (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-envoyproxy-gateway). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-53717 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-53717 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-53717?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 14 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/envoyproxy/gateway (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.7.4,introduced=1.8.0-rc.0,fixed=1.8.1, SEMVER:introduced=1.8.0-rc.0,fixed=1.8.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-53717?** Yes. github.com/envoyproxy/gateway (Go): upgrade to 1.8.1 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-53717 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-53717?** Check whether you run github.com/envoyproxy/gateway (Go) 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

- github.com/envoyproxy/gateway (Go): upgrade to 1.8.1 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/envoyproxy/gateway@v1.8.1
  ```


## Technical details

A memory allocation vulnerability (CWE-789) exists in Envoy Gateway's image fetching logic within `imagefetcher.go`. The component uses the `h.Size` value from a TAR header to allocate a byte slice without verifying if the size is within reasonable limits. An attacker with permissions to create an `EnvoyExtensionPolicy` can point the controller to a malicious OCI registry containing a TAR layer with a manipulated header (e.g., using PAX/GNU encoding to claim a multi-terabyte size). This triggers an unrecoverable Out-of-Memory (OOM) error in the Go runtime, causing the shared controller to crash-loop. Patches are available in versions 1.8.1 and 1.7.4.

## Affected products

- Envoy Proxy Gateway >= 1.8.0-rc.0, < 1.8.1; < 1.7.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-53717
- GHSA-h7pq-86h8-rp5x
- GO-2026-6008

## Timeline

- 2026-06-05: disclosed
- 2026-07-16: advisory

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing](https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing)
- [https://github.com/zhaohuabing](https://github.com/zhaohuabing)
- [https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing/repos](https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/1321762?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/1321762?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/zhaohuabing/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [Envoy Gateway NULL pointer dereference in SecurityPolicy](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53719-envoy-gateway-null-pointer-dereference-in-securitypolicy)
- [Envoy Gateway ReferenceGrant bypass in custom backendRef](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53718-envoy-gateway-referencegrant-bypass-in-custom-backendref)
- [Envoy Gateway unbounded memory allocation in Wasm HTTP fetch decompression](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53716-envoy-gateway-unbounded-memory-allocation-in-wasm-http-fetch)
- [Envoy Gateway race condition in Wasm cache ServeHTTP](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53715-envoy-gateway-race-condition-in-wasm-cache-servehttp)
- [Envoy Gateway authentication bypass in xDS control plane](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53714-envoy-gateway-authentication-bypass-in-xds-control-plane)