HTTP request smuggling primitive: bare LF accepted as a request-line terminator in strict mode
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Description
llhttp_set_lenient_optional_cr_before_lf documents that llhttp "would error when a LF is not
preceded by CR when terminating the request line", and that relaxing this exposes request smuggling.
url.ts:176 exits on a bare \n straight to the HTTP/0.9 adapter with no
LENIENT_OPTIONAL_CR_BEFORE_LF check — the only line terminator in the grammar that is ungated.
url.exit.toHTTP09 then continues into headers_start with no http_minor guard, so the message is
labelled HTTP/0.9 but headers and a Content-Length body are still parsed.
PoC
const http = require('http'), net = require('net');
const srv = http.createServer((req, res) => { // default parser, no options
let body = '';
req.on('data', c => body += c);
req.on('end', () => {
console.log(` ACCEPTED HTTP/${req.httpVersion} ${req.method} ${req.url}` +
` headers=${JSON.stringify(req.headers)} body=${JSON.stringify(body)}`);
res.end('ok');
});
});
srv.on('clientError', e => console.log(` REJECTED ${e.code}`));
const cases = [
['versionless + bare LF', 'GET /x\nHost: a\r\nContent-Length: 5\r\n\r\nhello'],
['versioned + bare LF', 'GET /x HTTP/1.1\nHost: a\r\n\r\n'],
];
srv.listen(0, async () => {
for (const [name, raw] of cases) {
console.log(name);
await new Promise(done => {
const c = net.connect(srv.address().port, '127.0.0.1', () => c.write(raw));
c.on('close', done); c.on('error', done);
setTimeout(() => c.destroy(), 300);
});
}
srv.close();
});
versionless + bare LF
ACCEPTED HTTP/0.9 GET /x headers={"host":"a","content-length":"5"} body="hello"
versioned + bare LF
REJECTED HPE_INVALID_VERSION
The same terminator is rejected when a version is present and accepted when it is absent. The
accepted message is reported as HTTP/0.9 yet carries headers and a body, neither of which HTTP/0.9
defines.
Scope, stated plainly: this path sets keepalive=0, and a pipelined follow-up request is rejected
with HPE_CLOSED_CONNECTION, so on its own it is a divergence from the documented strict-mode
guarantee rather than a demonstrated desync. Two requests parse on one connection only with
lenient_keep_alive also enabled.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start in url.ts:176 and trace url.exit.toHTTP09 into headers_start, comparing the bare-LF path with the LENIENT_OPTIONAL_CR_BEFORE_LF check used for other request-line terminators. Add regression coverage for strict-mode versionless and versioned requests, then verify that strict mode rejects the bare LF case without parsing HTTP/0.9 headers or a body.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- node.js, typescript
- Domain
- backend-api-design, security
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 55/100