The `'path'` module in the Node.js 4.x release line contains a potential regular expression denial of service (ReDoS) vector.
The `'path'` module in the Node.js 4.x release line contains a potential regular expression denial of service (ReDoS) vector. The code in question was replaced in Node.js 6.x and later so this vulnerability only impacts all versions of Node.js 4.x. The regular expression, `splitPathRe`, used within the `'path'` module for the various path parsing functions, including `path.dirname()`, `path.extname()` and `path.parse()` was structured in such a way as to allow an attacker to craft a string, that when passed through one of these functions, could take a significant amount of time to evaluate, potentially leading to a full denial of service.
- Published
- May 17, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 3.4% · 88th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-185
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 3.4%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| nodejs | node.js | cpe:2.3:a:nodejs:node.js |
Using node.js? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (Node.js)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- nodejs node.js4.0.0 and later · up to 4.1.2 inclusive
- nodejs node.js4.2.0 and later · up to 4.9.1 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (nodejs). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
The Node.js Project Node.js
- 4.xaffected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.10 | nodejs | before 8.11.0-r0 | 8.11.0-r0 |
| Debian:12 | nodejs | before 6.0.0~dfsg-1 | 6.0.0~dfsg-1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | nodejs4 | before 4.9.1-15.11.1 | 4.9.1-15.11.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | nodejs6 | before 6.14.1-11.12.1 | 6.14.1-11.12.1 |
Same product
nodejs: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-15605HTTP request smuggling in Node.js 10, 12, and 13 causes malicious payload delivery when transfer-encoding is malformed56Plan
- CVE-2021-22883Node.js before 10.24.0, 12.21.0, 14.16.0, and 15.10.0 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack when too many connection attempts with an 52Plan
- CVE-2021-22930Node.js before 16.6.0, 14.17.4, and 12.22.4 is vulnerable to a use after free attack where an attacker might be able to exploit the memory c50Plan
- CVE-2021-22931Node.js before 16.6.0, 14.17.4, and 12.22.4 is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution, XSS, Application crashes due to missing input validation46Plan
- CVE-2020-8277A Node.js application that allows an attacker to trigger a DNS request for a host of their choice could trigger a Denial of Service in versi46Plan
- CVE-2017-14849Node.js 8.5.0 before 8.6.0 allows remote attackers to access unintended files, because a change to ".." handling was incompatible with the p46Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:nodejs | 8.11.0-r0 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:nodejs | 6.0.0~dfsg-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:nodejs4 | 4.9.1-15.11.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:nodejs6 | 6.14.1-11.12.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
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Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-185 · Incorrect Regular ExpressionCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
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Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.