CVE-2026-81876: Input Validation Flaw (CVSS 7.5)

Description

HAPI FHIR is a complete implementation of the HL7 FHIR standard for healthcare interoperability in Java. Prior to version 6.9.12, SHCParser in org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java can enter an infinite loop while processing attacker-controlled Smart Health Card JWT content whose header contains zip: "DEF" and whose raw-DEFLATE payload is empty or truncated. SHCParser.decodeJWT() reaches SHCParser.inflate(), where Inflater.inflate() can return zero while Inflater.finished() remains false and Inflater.needsInput() is true. The loop also lacks an Inflater.needsDictionary() termination check, SHCParser.decompress() contains the same zero-progress pattern, and ResourceChecker.java can reach SHC parsing during file-format detection. A malformed validation request can pin a JVM worker thread indefinitely, and concurrent requests can exhaust all validation workers. This issue is fixed in version 6.9.12.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0063

Probability of exploitation

0.49%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-20 Improper Input Validation

CWE-400 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption

CWE-835 CWE-835

References

Other References

https://github.com/hapifhir/org.hl7.fhir.core/commit/d804558bd77372b1629e55a5b901cad3f5134cdc https://github.com/hapifhir/org.hl7.fhir.core/commit/edd5d8c139e669e39270785f08be7b63aefef24c https://github.com/hapifhir/org.hl7.fhir.core/pull/2493 https://github.com/hapifhir/org.hl7.fhir.core/security/advisories/GHSA-gq9c-wmrm-5hvr https://github.com/hapifhir/org.hl7.fhir.core/security/advisories/GHSA-gq9c-wmrm-5hvr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-81876? +

HAPI FHIR is a complete implementation of the HL7 FHIR standard for healthcare interoperability in Java. Prior to version 6.9.12, SHCParser in org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java can enter an infinite loop while processing attacker-controlled Smart Health Card JWT content whose header contains zip: "DEF" and whose raw-DEFLATE payload is empty or truncated. SHCParser.decodeJWT() reaches SHCParser.inflate(), where Inflater.inflate() can return zero while Inflater.finished() remains false and Inflater.needsInput() is true. The loop also lacks an Inflater.needsDictionary() termination check, SHCParser.decompress() contains the same zero-progress pattern, and ResourceChecker.java can reach SHC parsing during file-format detection. A malformed validation request can pin a JVM worker thread indefinitely, and concurrent requests can exhaust all validation workers. This issue is fixed in version 6.9.12. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-81876? +

CVE-2026-81876 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0063, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-81876? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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