AsyncHttpClient (AHC) library's `CookieStore` replaces explicitly defined `Cookie`s
Summary
When making any HTTP request, the automatically enabled and self-managed CookieStore (aka cookie jar) will silently replace explicitly defined Cookies with any that have the same name from the cookie jar. For services that operate with multiple users, this can result in one user's Cookie being used for another user's requests.
Details
This issue is described without security warnings here:
https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/issues/1964
A PR to fix this issue has been made:
https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/pull/2033
PoC
- Add an auth
Cookieto theCookieStore- This is identical to receiving an HTTP response that uses
Set-Cookie, as shown in issue #1964 above.
- This is identical to receiving an HTTP response that uses
- Handle a different user's request where the same
Cookieis provided as a passthrough, like a JWT, and attempt to use it by explicitly providing it. - Observe that the user's cookie in step 2 is passed as the Cookie in step 1.
Impact
This is generally going to be a problem for developers of backend services that implement third party auth features and use other features like token refresh. The moment a third party service responds by setting a cookie in the response, the CookieStore will effectively break almost every follow-up request (hopefully by being rejected, but possibly by revealing a different user's information).
If your service sets cookies based on the response that happens here, it's possible to lead to even greater levels of exposure.
Workaroud
You can avoid this issue by disabling the CookieStore during client creation:
DefaultAsyncHttpClientConfig.Builder clientBuilder = Dsl.config()
.setCookieStore(null)
// other configuration
;Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client | >= 2.1.0, < 2.12.4, >= 3.0.0.Beta1, < 3.0.1 | 2.12.4, 3.0.1 |
References
- https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/security/advisories/GHSA-mfj5-cf8g-g2fv
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53990
- https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/issues/1964
- https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/pull/2033
- https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/commit/d5a83362f7aed81b93ebca559746ac9be0f95425
- https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client
- https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/blob/main/CHANGES.md#from-20-to-21
- CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-287- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client- Disclosed
- 02.12.2024
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:20
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-mfj5-cf8g-g2fv - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: org.asynchttpclient:async-http-client
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 18
- First → latest
- 10.2018 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 2
- High 6
- Medium 8
- Low 2
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 1
- 2019: 0
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 16
-
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