CVE-2026-71290
CRITICAL 9.1Improper TLS hostname verification vulnerability in Apache HttpComponents Client 5.4 or newer. HostnameVerificationPolicy#BUILTIN setting has no effect when used with the async version of HttpClient. An attacker that can intercept and modify traffic between the client and the server can impersonate the server by presenting a valid certificate for a different domain. Please note the classic version of HttpClient is not affected by this vulnerability. Affected users are recommended to upgrade to at least version 5.6.4, which fixes the issue.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 9.1), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.2%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 9th percentile
Impact if exploited
9.1CVSS 3.1 · CRITICAL
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityNone
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ✓Privileges: No account or privileges required
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-71290/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-71290/poc.json
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Known Affected Software Configurations
| Vendor | Product | Version range |
|---|---|---|
| Apache | Httpclient | ≥ 5.4 and < 5.6.4 |
All CVSS metrics
- CRITICAL 9.1 v3.1 · ADP Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - CRITICAL 9.1 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N