CVE-2026-22803: SvelteKit has a memory amplification DoS in Remote Functions binary form deserializer

Published Jan 15, 2026
·
Updated

Summary

The experimental form remote function uses a binary data format containing a representation of submitted form data. A specially-crafted payload can cause the server to allocate a large amount of memory, causing DoS via memory exhaustion.

Details

When a form is submitted to a remote function endpoint, the SvelteKit client encodes the data using a custom format, and POSTs it to the endpoint as a request with an application/x-sveltekit-formdata content type.

The first few bytes of the request body encode the length of the data. SvelteKit will attempt to read the request body up until the specified offset, but if the body is not yet available then an array buffer of that size will be created eagerly to accommodate it as it arrives.

An attacker can force this code path by sending a small payload that specifies a large data length, then stalling the connection. The resulting array buffer will be held in memory, potentially causing memory exhaustion.

Impact

- Vulnerability type: Availability / memory exhaustion (memory amplification). - Who is impacted: SvelteKit apps with experimental.remoteFunctions enabled, and that expose a reachable Remote Form endpoint. - Attack: an unauthenticated attacker can repeatedly open connections, send only the 8-byte header/prefix (with large datalength), and stall the body to hold large allocations, exhausting memory.

Other sources

SvelteKit is a framework for rapidly developing robust, performant web applications using Svelte. From 2.49.0 to 2.49.4, the experimental form remote function uses a binary data format containing a representation of submitted form data. A specially-crafted payload can cause the server to allocate a large amount of memory, causing DoS via memory exhaustion. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.49.5.

MITRE

Affected Software

2 affected componentsFixes available
npm/@sveltejs/kit>=2.49.0<=2.49.4
2.49.5
svelte Kit Node.js>=2.49.0<2.49.5

Event History

Jan 15, 2026
Advisory Published
via GitHub·06:10 PM
Data Sourced
via GitHub·06:10 PM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:37 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:37 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·07:16 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Feb 19, 58052
Event
via FIRST·08:45 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-22803?

CVE-2026-22803 is categorized as a high severity vulnerability due to the potential for a memory amplification DoS attack.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-22803?

To mitigate CVE-2026-22803, upgrade to SvelteKit version 2.49.5 or later.

3

What is the impact of CVE-2026-22803?

CVE-2026-22803 can lead to excessive memory allocation on the server, potentially crashing or degrading service availability.

4

Which versions of SvelteKit are affected by CVE-2026-22803?

CVE-2026-22803 affects SvelteKit versions from 2.49.0 to 2.49.4.

5

What component of SvelteKit is vulnerable in CVE-2026-22803?

CVE-2026-22803 specifically affects the experimental 'form' remote function due to its binary data format handling.

Contact

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