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OpenAdvisories
Medium · 5.3 CVE-2026-28434 EUVD-2026-9495

cpp-httplib's default exception handler leaks e.what() to clients via EXCEPTION_WHAT response header

Published Mar 4, 2026 · Updated Mar 4, 2026 · Assigned by GitHub_M

Description

cpp-httplib is a C++11 single-file header-only cross platform HTTP/HTTPS library. Prior to 0.35.0, when a request handler throws a C++ exception and the application has not registered a custom exception handler via set_exception_handler(), the library catches the exception and writes its message directly into the HTTP response as a header named EXCEPTION_WHAT. This header is sent to whoever made the request, with no authentication check and no special configuration required to trigger it. The behavior is on by default. A developer who does not know to opt in to set_exception_handler() will ship a server that leaks internal exception messages to any client. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.35.0.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
yhirose cpp-httplib < 0.35.0 —

Fixed in Linux distributions

Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 cpp-httplib 0.41.0+ds-3 —
Debian 13 cpp-httplib No fix yet —
Debian 12 cpp-httplib No fix yet —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 26.10 cpp-httplib No fix yet —
Ubuntu 25.10 cpp-httplib No fix yet —
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Pro 26.04 LTS cpp-httplib No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro 24.04 LTS cpp-httplib No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro 22.04 LTS cpp-httplib No fix yet —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Tumbleweed cpp-httplib 0.38.0-1.1 openSUSE-SU-2026:10435-1

Advisories 1

References