CVE-2026-22036: nodejs undici · Unthrottled Resource Allocation
Affects nodejs undiciSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.9 Medium : upgrade to 7.18.2 or 6.23.0 when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 39% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 7.18.2, 6.23.0, 7.18.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 14 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
Upgrade undici to 7.18.2 or 6.23.0; undici to 7.18.3 or 6.23.0.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| nodejsundici | Affected
| Fixed in
|
npmundicipkg:npm/undiciOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
The primary mitigation is to upgrade undici to version 6.23.0 or later, or 7.18.2 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Organizations should audit their Node.js dependencies to identify and remediate vulnerable undici versions promptly. In addition, implement network-level protections such as firewall rules or proxy filtering to restrict connections to trusted HTTP servers and block suspicious or untrusted endpoints that could serve malicious responses. Employ runtime monitoring and resource usage alerts to detect abnormal CPU or memory consumption in Node.js processes. Consider configuring Node.js application-level timeouts and limits on response sizes to reduce impact. For environments where immediate upgrade is not feasible, isolating vulnerable services in containers or sandboxes with resource limits can help contain potential DoS effects. Regularly review and update dependency management practices to prevent introduction of vulnerable versions in the future.
Description
CVE-2026-22036 is a medium severity vulnerability in the Node.js HTTP client library undici, affecting versions prior to 6.23.0 and between 7.0.0 and 7.18.2. The flaw arises from an unbounded decompression chain during HTTP response processing, allowing a malicious server to trigger excessive CPU and memory consumption by inserting thousands of compression steps. This resource exhaustion can lead to denial of service without requiring authentication or user interaction.