# RUSTSEC-2026-0230: Empty NIP-50 search filters can panic

> Remote attackers can cause denial of service by submitting empty NIP-50 search filters, triggering a panic in the Rust event-matching library.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Aug 2026

## What is RUSTSEC-2026-0230?

RUSTSEC-2026-0230 is a denial of service vulnerability in nostr, published on 1 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The NIP-50 event-matching path searched event content with
`slice::windows(search.len())`. An empty search string therefore called
`slice::windows(0)`, which always panics instead of returning a match result.

A remote client able to submit filters to an application using this matcher could
trigger the panic with an empty NIP-50 search value. This includes clients querying an
SDK local relay. Depending on the application's panic configuration and task
isolation, the crafted filter could terminate request processing, a runtime worker, or
the entire process, causing denial of service. No confidentiality or integrity impact
is known.

Empty searches are now handled before the substring search, so the matcher returns a
defined result without constructing a zero-sized window or panicking.

## Which versions are affected by RUSTSEC-2026-0230?

1 open source package ship an affected version, including nostr.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nostr` | crates.io | From 0.0.0-0 | 0.44.7 |

## How do I fix RUSTSEC-2026-0230?

Upgrade nostr to 0.44.7 or later.

## Is RUSTSEC-2026-0230 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of RUSTSEC-2026-0230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for RUSTSEC-2026-0230 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: RUSTSEC-2026-0230 is a denial of service vulnerability in nostr, published on 1 Aug 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 RUSTSEC-2026-0230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nostr (crates.io): affected from 0.0.0-0; fixed in 0.44.7

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/RUSTSEC-2026-0230/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/RUSTSEC-2026-0230/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/RUSTSEC-2026-0230

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/RUSTSEC-2026-0230/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.