Next.js: Denial of Service in the Image Optimization API
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 23/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.94% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 59.9% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: vercel next.js 15.5.16.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to vercel next.js 15.5.16 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Next.js is a React framework for building full-stack web applications. From 10.0.0 to before 15.5.16 and 16.2.5, when self-hosting Next.js with the default image loader, the Image Optimization API fetches local images entirely into memory without enforcing a maximum size limit. An attacker could cause out-of-memory conditions by requesting large local assets from the /_next/image endpoint that match the images.localPatterns configuration (by default, all patterns are allowed). This vulnerability is fixed in 15.5.16 and 16.2.5.
- Published
- May 13, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 13, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.9% · 60th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-770
Report tools
Action score
23
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 23 / 40 · 5.9 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.9%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 5.9
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| vercel | next.js | cpe:2.3:a:vercel:next.js |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- vercel next.js10.0.0 and later · before 15.5.16
- vercel next.js16.0.0 and later · before 16.2.5
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
vercel next.js
- >= 10.0.0, < 15.5.16, >= 16.0.0, < 16.2.5affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | next | from 10.0.0 · before 15.5.16 | 15.5.16 |
| npm | next | from 16.0.0 · before 16.2.5 | 16.2.5 |
Same product
vercel: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2025-29927Authorization Bypass in Next.js Middleware66This week
- CVE-2024-46982Cache Poisoning in next.js48Plan
- CVE-2021-43803Unexpected server crash in Next.js44Plan
- CVE-2025-55183An information leak vulnerability exists in specific configurations of React Server Components versions 19.0.0, 19.0.1 19.1.0, 19.1.1, 19.1.40Plan
- CVE-2026-75604Next.js: Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution on windows-hosted servers37Monitor
- CVE-2026-44578Next.js: Server-side request forgery in applications using WebSocket upgrades35Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| vercel next.js | 15.5.16 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| npm:next | 15.5.16 | Package registry (OSV) |
| npm:next | 16.2.5 | 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.
- CVE-2026-445790 days apartNext.js: Denial of Service via connection exhaustion in applications using Cache Components30Monitor
- CVE-2026-2797957 days apartNext.js: Unbounded postponed resume buffering can lead to DoS27Monitor
- CVE-2026-6464675 days apartNext.js: Unbounded Server Action payload in Edge runtime25Monitor
- CVE-2024-56332495 days apartNext.js Vulnerable to Denial of Service (DoS) with Server Actions21Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
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.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-770 · Allocation of Resources Without Limits or ThrottlingCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-secondary
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)
- FloodingCAPEC-125likelihood: High · Medium
- Excessive AllocationCAPEC-130likelihood: Medium · Medium
- XML Ping of the DeathCAPEC-147likelihood: Low · Medium
- Exponential Data ExpansionCAPEC-197likelihood: High · Medium
- Serialized Data Parameter BlowupCAPEC-229likelihood: High · High
- Serialized Data with Nested PayloadsCAPEC-230likelihood: Medium · High
- Oversized Serialized Data PayloadsCAPEC-231likelihood: Medium · High
- HTTP DoSCAPEC-469Low
ATT&CK techniques
- Network Denial of Service:Direct Network FloodT1498.001
- Network Denial of Service:Reflection AmplificationT1498.002
- Endpoint Denial of ServiceT1499
- Endpoint Denial of Service: OS Exhaustion FloodT1499.001
- Endpoint Denial of Service:Service Exhaustion FloodT1499.002
- Endpoint Denial of Service:Application Exhaustion FloodT1499.003
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (7 more)Show less
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:34608
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37272
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:40974
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54435
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-44577
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2477194
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-44577.json
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.