# CVE-2026-123865: Node.js is vulnerable to an HTTP/2 memory and file-descriptor leak via a protocol error during session shutdown

> Unauthenticated HTTP/2 clients can leak Node.js server memory and file descriptors by sending GOAWAY during session shutdown.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Harmful if only installed:** No
- **Needs a specific call:** No
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Nov 2026
- **Updated:** 11 Nov 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2026-123865, BELL-CVE-2026-123865, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-123865, GHSA-jj6m-hq7p-qvhr, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-123865

## What is CVE-2026-123865?

CVE-2026-123865 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in nodejs node, published on 11 Nov 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An unauthenticated HTTP/2 client can permanently leak Node.js server memory and file descriptors. If a peer triggers a protocol error, for example an oversized frame header, while the session is already shutting down, nghttp2 tears the session down internally but Node.js never notices, leaving a dangling session: the socket stays in CLOSE_WAIT and all of Node.js's HTTP/2 state for that connection is held in memory indefinitely, with no further cost to the attacker. The attacker can start the shutdown remotely by sending GOAWAY(NO_ERROR), so it is reliable against default HTTP/2 servers. It is an incomplete-fix case of CVE-2026-48937: that fix detected nghttp2 internal terminations by watching for GOAWAY sent while not shutting down, but missed terminations that arrive while the session is already shutting down. This vulnerability affects Node.js 26.x, 24.x, and 22.x.

Weakness: CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-123865?

An affected version is exposed as installed. No special setting or call is needed.


## How do I fix CVE-2026-123865?

No fix published yet.

## Is CVE-2026-123865 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-123865 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-123865 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-123865 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in nodejs node, published on 11 Nov 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-123865 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Exposure: An affected version is exposed as installed. No special setting or call is needed.

Affected product: nodejs node. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-123865/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-123865/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-123865
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-123865
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-123865

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-123865/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.