CVE-2026-21636 Security feature bypass in node
Node.js permission model flaw allows bypassing network restrictions via Unix Domain Sockets, enabling access to privileged local services.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-21636?
CVE-2026-21636 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js, published on 20 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
A flaw in Node.js's permission model allows Unix Domain Socket (UDS) connections to bypass network restrictions when `--permission` is enabled. Even without `--allow-net`, attacker-controlled inputs (such as URLs or socketPath options) can connect to arbitrary local sockets via net, tls, or undici/fetch. This breaks the intended security boundary of the permission model and enables access to privileged local services, potentially leading to privilege escalation, data exposure, or local code execution.
* The issue affects users of the Node.js permission model on version v25.
In the moment of this vulnerability, network permissions (`--allow-net`) are still in the experimental phase.
Weakness: CWE-284
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-21636?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including node and node-min. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
node Bitnami | From 25.0.0 | 25.3.0 |
node-min Bitnami | From 25.0.0 | 25.3.0 |
Products include Nodejs Node.js.
How do I fix CVE-2026-21636?
Upgrade node to 25.3.0 or later.
Is CVE-2026-21636 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-21636 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Other vulnerabilities in Nodejs Node.js
Sources
Also known as BIT-node-2026-21636, BIT-node-min-2026-21636, GHSA-7xhv-hcmf-4rfv, MINI-rwq9-8mm4-j8fq, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-21636.