python / python/cpython

http.client accepts Content-Length and chunk-size values that RFC 9112 forbids

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stdlib type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Description

http.client derives the response body framing from int() of the Content-Length header and the chunked chunk-size line:

  • HTTPResponse.begin: self.length = int(length)
  • HTTPResponse._read_next_chunk_size: return int(line, 16)

RFC 9112 defines Content-Length = 1*DIGIT and chunk-size = 1*HEXDIG, but int() is more permissive: it accepts a leading +/-, underscores, surrounding whitespace and, in base 16, an 0x prefix and non-ASCII digits. So values like Content-Length: +5 / 5_0 and chunk sizes -5, +5, 0x5, 1_f are accepted and used to frame the body, while an RFC-compliant front end would reject them or frame the message differently (CWE-444).

Reproducer:

import http.client, io
class S:
    def __init__(s, d): s.f = io.BytesIO(d)
    def makefile(s, *a, **k): return s.f
def parse(raw):
    r = http.client.HTTPResponse(S(raw)); r.begin(); return r
raw = b'HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nTransfer-Encoding: chunked\r\n\r\n+5\r\nHELLO\r\n0\r\n\r\n'
print(parse(raw).read())            # b'HELLO' -- '+5' is not a HEXDIG
raw = b'HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Length: 5_0\r\n\r\n' + b'A'*50
print(parse(raw).length)            # 50 -- '5_0' is not 1*DIGIT

The body-framing tokens should be validated against the grammar before being passed to int().

Linked PRs
  • gh-150752

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  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start at HTTPResponse.begin and HTTPResponse._read_next_chunk_size, where Content-Length and chunk-size values are converted with int(). Validate each body-framing token against its RFC 9112 grammar before conversion, and confirm that the reproducer's non-compliant values are rejected or no longer used for framing.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
networking, security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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