File size limit bypass in node-fetch
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · Low
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-770.
Summary
node-fetch before versions 2.6.1 and 3.0.0-beta.9 did not honor the size option after following a redirect, which means that when a content size was over the limit, a FetchError would never get thrown and the process would end without failure. For most people, this fix will have a little or no impact. However, if you are relying on node-fetch to gate files above a size, the impact could be significant, for example: If you don't double-check the size of the data after fetch() has completed, your JS thread could get tied up doing work on a large file (DoS) and/or cost you money in computing.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| node-fetch | node-fetch | before 2.6.1; >3.0.0-beta.1, <3.0.0-beta.9 | 2.6.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | node-fetch (npm) | 2.0.0 to before 2.6.1 | 2.6.1 | Patch available | GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r |
| — | node-fetch (npm) | 3.0.0-beta.1 to before 3.0.0-beta.9 | 3.0.0-beta.9 | Patch available | GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r |
- node-fetch Vendornode-fetch Affected before 2.6.1; >3.0.0-beta.1, <3.0.0-beta.9 Fixed in 2.6.1 Patch available CNA
- node-fetch (npm) Vendor— Affected 2.0.0 to before 2.6.1 Fixed in 2.6.1 Patch available GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r
- node-fetch (npm) Vendor— Affected 3.0.0-beta.1 to before 3.0.0-beta.9 Fixed in 3.0.0-beta.9 Patch available GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | before 2.6.1 | Vulnerable | node-fetch |
| cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | 3.0.0 beta1 | Vulnerable | node-fetch |
| cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta5:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | 3.0.0 beta5 | Vulnerable | node-fetch |
| cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta6:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | 3.0.0 beta6 | Vulnerable | node-fetch |
| cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta7:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | 3.0.0 beta7 | Vulnerable | node-fetch |
| cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta8:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | 3.0.0 beta8 | Vulnerable | node-fetch |
- cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions before 2.6.1 Vulnerable ·node-fetch
- cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions 3.0.0 beta1 Vulnerable ·node-fetch
- cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta5:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions 3.0.0 beta5 Vulnerable ·node-fetch
- cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta6:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions 3.0.0 beta6 Vulnerable ·node-fetch
- cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta7:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions 3.0.0 beta7 Vulnerable ·node-fetch
- cpe:2.3:a:node-fetch_project:node-fetch:3.0.0:beta8:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions 3.0.0 beta8 Vulnerable ·node-fetch
Remediation
- Fix · CNA node-fetch (node-fetch) Fixed in 2.6.1
- Fix · GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r node-fetch (npm) Fixed in 2.6.1 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r node-fetch (npm) Fixed in 3.0.0-beta.9 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes 2 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-15168
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r
References
Advisory 3
More Node-fetch vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-02398 Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in node-fetch/node-fetch CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.9
- TI-2022-00171 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in node-fetch/node-fetch CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.1
Sources
- CVE-2020-15168 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-15168 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-w7rc-rwvf-8q5r · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2020-15168 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences