CVE-2008-4298

Memory leak in the http_request_parse function in request.c in lighttpd before 1.4.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via a large number of requests with duplicate request headers.

Published: 2008-09-27 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2008-4298 is rated Moderate Risk (51.6/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 3.53%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2008-4298

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 2.65% 3.53% +0.88%
2 2025-12-10 2.93% 2.65% -0.28%
3 2025-10-28 — 2.93% —

Full EPSS history (15 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2008-4298

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
5.0 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:N)
No confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 10.0 2.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2008-4298

OS Trackers for CVE-2008-4298

vendor priority summary link
debian medium CVE-2008-4298 medium priority: Debian including 1 source packages (lighttpd), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2008-4298
gentoo normal CVE-2008-4298: 1 GLSA(s) (200812-04), 1 atom(s) (www-servers/lighttpd); latest impact normal. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2008-4298
redhat high — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2008-4298
ubuntu low CVE-2008-4298 low priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (lighttpd), 8 status rows across 8 suites (dapper, feisty, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, karmic, upstream): ignored 4, not-affected 2, released 2. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2008-4298

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2008-4298

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
lighttpd lighttpd <= 1.4.19 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.1 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.2 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.3 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.4 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.5 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.6 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.7 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.8 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.1.9 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.1.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.1 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.2 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.3 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.4 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.5 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.6 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.7 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.2.8 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.0 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.1 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.2 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.3 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.4 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.5 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.6 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.7 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.8 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.9 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.10 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.11 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.12 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.13 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.14 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.15 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.3.16 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.3.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.1 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.2 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.3 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.4 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.5 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.6 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.7 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.8 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.9 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.10 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.11 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.12 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.13 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.14 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.15 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.16 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.17 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
lighttpd lighttpd 1.4.18 cpe:2.3:a:lighttpd:lighttpd:1.4.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2008-4298

URL Tags
http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=238180
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2008-11/msg00002.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/32069
http://secunia.com/advisories/32132
http://secunia.com/advisories/32480
http://secunia.com/advisories/32834
http://secunia.com/advisories/32972
http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200812-04.xml
http://trac.lighttpd.net/trac/changeset/2305
http://trac.lighttpd.net/trac/ticket/1774 Patch
http://wiki.rpath.com/Advisories:rPSA-2008-0309
http://wiki.rpath.com/wiki/Advisories:rPSA-2008-0309
http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1645
http://www.lighttpd.net/security/lighttpd_sa_2008_07.txt
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2008/09/26/5
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/497932/100/0/threaded
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/31434
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2741
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/45471
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