GHSA-3rfq-4wpf-qqw3 Micronaut has Unbounded `bundleCache` in `ResourceBundleMessageSource` that Allows Memory Exhaustion via `Accept-Language` Header
Summary`ResourceBundleMessageSource` maintains two caches: `messageCache` (bounded at 100 entries via `ConcurrentLinkedHashMap`) and `bundleCache` (unbounded `ConcurrentHashMap`). The `bundleCache` is keyed by `(Locale, baseName)` where the locale originates from the HTTP `Accept-Language` header. In applications that explicitly register a `ResourceBundleMessageSource` bean and serve HTML error responses, an unauthenticated attacker can exhaust heap memory by sending requests with large numbers of unique `Accept-Language` values, each causing a new entry in the unbounded `bundleCache`. Unlike GHSA-2hcp-gjrf-7fhc and the sibling `messageCache` (both bounded), `bundleCache` was not updated to use a bounded cache implementation.DetailsThe `bundleCache` is initialized in `inject/src/main/java/io/micronaut/context/i18n/ResourceBundleMessageSource.java` at line 150:The `resolveBundle()` method at line 169 inserts into `bundleCache` with no eviction policy:The attack path requires:The application registers a `ResourceBundleMessageSource` bean (non-default, requires explicit user configuration).The attacker sends requests that trigger HTML error responses — i.e., requests with `Accept: text/html` to any URL that returns an error (e.g., 404 for any non-existent path).Each request uses a unique `Accept-Language` value (e.g., `zz-AA`, `zz-AB`, …).`DefaultHtmlErrorResponseBodyProvider.error()` calls `messageSource.getMessage(code, locale)` → `CompositeMessageSource` delegates to `ResourceBundleMessageSource` → `resolveBundle(locale)` inserts one entry per unique locale into `bundleCache`.For locales that don't match any bundle file, `ResourceBundle.getBundle()` throws `MissingResourceException` and `Optional.empty()` is stored — a low-cost sentinel. For locales that DO match a bundle, a full `ResourceBundle` object is retained in memory. In either case, the map itself and the `MessageKey` objects grow without bound.Note: the `messageCache` is bounded at 100 entries but does not prevent `bundleCache` growth, as `resolveBundle()` is called directly (bypassing `messageCache`) whenever a `messageCache` miss occurs.PoCAgainst a Micronaut application with a `ResourceBundleMessageSource` bean registered (e.g., `@Bean ResourceBundleMessageSource messages() { return new ResourceBundleMessageSource("messages"); }`):Each unique `zz-XXXX` tag creates one new `bundleCache` entry. The `MessageKey` (Locale + baseName) and map overhead cost approximately 100-200 bytes per entry. At 100,000 entries, heap consumption from the cache alone reaches roughly 20 MB — significant in resource-constrained deployments. If a locale matches a bundle file, retained `ResourceBundle` objects cost substantially more per entry.ImpactOnly affects applications that explicitly register a `ResourceBundleMessageSource` bean (not the default configuration).Requires the ability to send HTTP requests with `Accept: text/html` headers and control over the `Accept-Language` value.Memory grows approximately 100-200 bytes per novel locale (for non-matching locales) up to several KB per locale if bundles are found. Sustained attack over time causes gradual heap exhaustion.Partial availability impact (A:L) under sustained attack in long-running services.Recommended FixApply the same bounded-cache pattern used for the sibling `messageCache`:The number of distinct resource bundle files is bounded at compile time; a limit of 50 entries is more than sufficient for any realistic i18n configuration while fully preventing unbounded growth.
CVSS v3.1 score: 3.7