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Use-after-Free in NGINX ngx_http_v3_module HTTP/3/QPACK Processing

IdentifiersCVE-2026-42530CWE-416

CVE-2026-42530 is a use-after-free vulnerability in NGINX Open Source's ngx_http_v3_module when the server is configured to use the HTTP/3 QUIC module. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can send a specially crafted HTTP/3 session that reopens a QPACK encoder stream, triggering a use-after-free condition in the NGINX worker process. The flaw affects HTTP/3 processing and can cause the worker process to restart. Under conditions where Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) is disabled, or where the attacker can otherwise bypass ASLR, the memory corruption may be leveraged for code execution.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can crash and restart the affected NGINX worker process, resulting in denial of service. Because the bug is a use-after-free in a network-reachable parsing/processing path, it may also permit arbitrary code execution if exploitability constraints are favorable, specifically on systems with ASLR disabled or where ASLR can be bypassed.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, disable HTTP/3/QUIC support by removing the "quic" parameter from all relevant listen directives or otherwise disabling the ngx_http_v3_module HTTP/3 functionality. Ensure ASLR remains enabled and system hardening protections are not weakened, as this reduces the likelihood of turning the crash into code execution.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade to a vendor-fixed NGINX release that addresses CVE-2026-42530. The provided content indicates fixes were released in nginx 1.31.2 and the stable branch update 1.30.3, and that F5 also issued corresponding updates for affected NGINX products. Use only supported versions; versions that have reached End of Technical Support were not evaluated.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
NginxNginxapplication
NginxNgx Http V3 Moduleapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

10 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

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Associated malware

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Detection signatures

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Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity5

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.