Medium severity · published Mar 4, 2026
CVE-2026-28434
cpp-httplib's default exception handler leaks e.what() to clients via EXCEPTION_WHAT response header
5.3
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
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.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 25% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
CP
cpp-httplib · yhirose
< 0.35.0 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28434
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-28434
Patch
https://github.com/yhirose/cpp-httplib/commit/defd907c7469c5c8281247b73bbd07be24c31164
Exploit
https://github.com/yhirose/cpp-httplib/security/advisories/GHSA-8mpw-r4gc-xm7q
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