CVE-2026-85720AsyncHttpClient: Origin credentials sent to the proxy on the plaintext CONNECT request

The AsyncHttpClient (AHC) library allows Java applications to easily execute HTTP requests and asynchronously process HTTP responses. From 2.0.0 until 2.16.1 and 3.0.12, a request using an HTTP proxy to reach an HTTPS origin can expose preemptive origin credentials because NettyRequestFactory and NettyRequestSender.sendRequestWithNewChannel attach Authorization to the plaintext CONNECT request before the TLS tunnel exists. Basic or Digest credentials and per-connection NTLM, Kerberos, or SPNEGO tokens intended for the origin are therefore visible to the proxy and to observers on the client-to-proxy hop. The tunneled request still receives origin Authorization after the tunnel is established, while Proxy-Authorization remains on CONNECT for its intended proxy recipient. This issue is fixed in versions 2.16.1 and 3.0.12.

CVSS

5.9 MEDIUM (v3.1, CNA)CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Weakness (CWE)

CWE-319, CWE-522

Known exploited

Not in CISA's KEV catalog

EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)

Not loaded for this CVE

Assigned by

GitHub_M

NVD analysis

Awaiting Analysis

Record last updated

Sep 21, 2026

First seen by InfoSec Signals

Oct 9, 2026

The CVE record on cve.org · NVD's entry

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