CVE-2019-5737 Denial of service in Node.js

High 7.5 Published 28 Mar 2019 Updated 4 Aug 2024

Attackers can cause Denial of Service in Node.js by sending slow HTTP headers in keep-alive connections, exhausting server resources.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2019-5737?

CVE-2019-5737 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js, published on 28 Mar 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

In Node.js including 6.x before 6.17.0, 8.x before 8.15.1, 10.x before 10.15.2, and 11.x before 11.10.1, an attacker can cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by establishing an HTTP or HTTPS connection in keep-alive mode and by sending headers very slowly. This keeps the connection and associated resources alive for a long period of time. Potential attacks are mitigated by the use of a load balancer or other proxy layer. This vulnerability is an extension of CVE-2018-12121, addressed in November and impacts all active Node.js release lines including 6.x before 6.17.0, 8.x before 8.15.1, 10.x before 10.15.2, and 11.x before 11.10.1.

Weakness: CWE-770, CWE-400

Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-5737?

It affects 2 products.

Linux distribution packages (3)

`nodejs10` SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12	All versions	`10.15.2-1.6.1`
`nodejs10` SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 15	All versions	`10.15.2-1.6.1`
`nodejs8` SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 15	All versions	`8.15.1-3.14.1`

Products include Nodejs Node.js, Opensuse Leap.

How do I fix CVE-2019-5737?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.

Is CVE-2019-5737 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-5737 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.

All Nodejs Node.js vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2019-5737, CLEANSTART-2026-UB54209, CLEANSTART-2026-VK28646, DEBIAN-CVE-2019-5737, GHSA-24mv-c2pp-2q4f, SUSE-SU-2019:0627-1 and 3 more.