node-opcua: Unbounded nonce cache enables unauthenticated heap exhaustion DoS
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-770.
Summary
node-opcua is an OPC UA implementation for TypeScript and Node.js. Prior to 2.166.0, the process-global g_alreadyUsedNonce cache used by nonceAlreadyBeenUsed in packages/node-opcua-secure-channel/source/server/server_secure_channel_layer.ts records nonces from OpenSecureChannelRequest and CreateSession without expiration or a size limit. An unauthenticated remote attacker can repeatedly create sessions with unique nonces, causing entries to persist after session expiry and accumulate across connection cycles even when maxSessions=10 limits concurrent sessions. The resulting unbounded heap growth can exhaust the default Node.js heap and crash the node-opcua server process. This issue is fixed in version 2.166.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| node-opcua | node-opcua | before 2.166.0 | 2.166.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | node-opcua (npm) | before 2.166.0 | 2.166.0 | Patch available | GHSA-6wvw-vrw4-363w |
- node-opcua Vendornode-opcua Affected before 2.166.0 Fixed in 2.166.0 Patch available CNA
- node-opcua (npm) Vendor— Affected before 2.166.0 Fixed in 2.166.0 Patch available GHSA-6wvw-vrw4-363w
Remediation
- Fix · CNA node-opcua (node-opcua) Fixed in 2.166.0
- Fix · GHSA-6wvw-vrw4-363w node-opcua (npm) Fixed in 2.166.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-54156
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-6wvw-vrw4-363w
References
More node-opcua vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-84561 Authorization bypass in node-opcua lets anonymous clients write CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-48544 node-opcua: Prototype Pollution via internal `fieldsToJson()` implementation (Related to CVE-2024-57086) CVSS 3.1LOW 3.7
- TI-2026-39065 node-opcua: Missing nonce verification in UserNameIdentityToken authentication CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.7
- TI-2026-48457 node-opcua: TCP Socket Leak (FIN-WAIT-2) via keepalive reconnection cycle - Resource Exhaustion CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
Sources
- CVE-2026-54156 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-54156 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-6wvw-vrw4-363w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences