CVE-2026-48779: CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in websockets ws
The ws library for Node.js versions 1.1.0 up to but not including 5.2.5, 6.0.0 up to 6.2.4, 7.0.0 up to 7.5.11, and 8.0.0 up to 8.21.0 contains a memory exhaustion denial-of-service vulnerability. This occurs when a peer sends a high volume of very small WebSocket fragments and data chunks, causing excessive memory allocation beyond documented limits and leading to process termination due to out-of-memory conditions. The vulnerability has been fixed in versions 5.2.5, 6.2.4, 7.5.11, and 8.21.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-48779 affects the ws WebSocket client and server library for Node.js. The vulnerability is an uncontrolled resource consumption issue (CWE-400) where an attacker can send numerous small fragments and data chunks that cause the remote peer to allocate structural wrappers consuming significantly more memory than intended. This leads to process termination from out-of-memory (OOM) conditions. Affected versions include >=1.1.0 <5.2.5, >=6.0.0 <6.2.4, >=7.0.0 <7.5.11, and >=8.0.0 <8.21.0. The issue has been fixed in versions 5.2.5, 6.2.4, 7.5.11, and 8.21.0. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5 (High), with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and impact limited to availability.
Potential Impact
An attacker can cause a denial-of-service by forcing the ws process to consume excessive memory through a high volume of small WebSocket fragments, leading to out-of-memory termination. This impacts availability but does not affect confidentiality or integrity.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrading to fixed versions 5.2.5, 6.2.4, 7.5.11, or 8.21.0 is the recommended remediation. Patch status is confirmed by the version ranges fixed. No additional mitigation is indicated.
CVE-2026-48779: CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in websockets ws
Description
The ws library for Node.js versions 1.1.0 up to but not including 5.2.5, 6.0.0 up to 6.2.4, 7.0.0 up to 7.5.11, and 8.0.0 up to 8.21.0 contains a memory exhaustion denial-of-service vulnerability. This occurs when a peer sends a high volume of very small WebSocket fragments and data chunks, causing excessive memory allocation beyond documented limits and leading to process termination due to out-of-memory conditions. The vulnerability has been fixed in versions 5.2.5, 6.2.4, 7.5.11, and 8.21.0.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
pkg:npm/wsRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-48779 affects the ws WebSocket client and server library for Node.js. The vulnerability is an uncontrolled resource consumption issue (CWE-400) where an attacker can send numerous small fragments and data chunks that cause the remote peer to allocate structural wrappers consuming significantly more memory than intended. This leads to process termination from out-of-memory (OOM) conditions. Affected versions include >=1.1.0 <5.2.5, >=6.0.0 <6.2.4, >=7.0.0 <7.5.11, and >=8.0.0 <8.21.0. The issue has been fixed in versions 5.2.5, 6.2.4, 7.5.11, and 8.21.0. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5 (High), with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and impact limited to availability.
Potential Impact
An attacker can cause a denial-of-service by forcing the ws process to consume excessive memory through a high volume of small WebSocket fragments, leading to out-of-memory termination. This impacts availability but does not affect confidentiality or integrity.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrading to fixed versions 5.2.5, 6.2.4, 7.5.11, or 8.21.0 is the recommended remediation. Patch status is confirmed by the version ranges fixed. No additional mitigation is indicated.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-22T20:18:20.365Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a31c7a50b89be6888375e3e
Added to database: 6/16/2026, 10:01:09 PM
Last enriched: 6/16/2026, 10:15:40 PM
Last updated: 6/17/2026, 5:11:15 AM
Views: 13
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.