CVE-2026-123866: Use-After-Free (CVSS 7.5)

Description

A use-after-free in Node.js HTTP/2 stream teardown can leak response memory, including the contents of other connections' response buffers, to a peer. When a stream is torn down while a write is still backpressured, for example by a peer RST_STREAM or by the server's own per-stream timeout destroying the stream, the stream's response buffer is freed but a reference to it is still used, so freed or unrelated heap memory is written to the socket instead of the intended response. On Node.js 26.x and 24.x the teardown can be driven purely by a remote peer once the window-size change from 26.9.0 and 24.22.0 is present, and on all supported lines the same defect is reachable through an application-initiated teardown such as a per-stream idle timeout. This vulnerability affects Node.js 26.x, 24.x, and 22.x.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0048

Probability of exploitation

0.42%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-416 Use After Free

References

Other References

https://cna.openjsf.org/security-advisories.html https://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/november-2026-security-releases

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-123866? +

A use-after-free in Node.js HTTP/2 stream teardown can leak response memory, including the contents of other connections' response buffers, to a peer. When a stream is torn down while a write is still backpressured, for example by a peer RST_STREAM or by the server's own per-stream timeout destroying the stream, the stream's response buffer is freed but a reference to it is still used, so freed or unrelated heap memory is written to the socket instead of the intended response. On Node.js 26.x and 24.x the teardown can be driven purely by a remote peer once the window-size change from 26.9.0 and 24.22.0 is present, and on all supported lines the same defect is reachable through an application-initiated teardown such as a per-stream idle timeout. This vulnerability affects Node.js 26.x, 24.x, and 22.x. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-123866? +

CVE-2026-123866 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0048, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-123866? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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