CVE-2026-85024: undici vulnerable to Denial of Service via unhandled error in WebSocket permessage-deflate decompression
undici bundles a WebSocket client whose permessage-deflate size-limit cleanup removes all listeners from the internal zlib inflate stream, including its error listener, while that stream can still emit. When a remote peer sends a compressed payload that crosses the built-in 128 MiB decompressed-payload limit and then contains a malformed DEFLATE byte, the inflate stream emits a data error with no listener attached, which Node.js treats as a fatal unhandled error and terminates the entire process. Exploitation is remote and unauthenticated, requires no application mistake, and is asymmetric, since roughly 130 KB on the wire expands past the limit and crashes the process, and reconnecting can repeat the crash. This affects undici versions from 6.25.0 up to 6.28.1, from 7.28.0 up to 7.29.1, and from 8.1.0 up to 8.10.2. Users should upgrade to undici 6.28.1, 7.29.1, or 8.10.2.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
undicito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.28.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
undicito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.29.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
undicito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 8.10.2
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions must be present for exploitation?
An application must use undici's WebSocket client with permessage-deflate and connect to a remote peer that can send WebSocket messages. The attacker needs no authentication or application-specific mistake.
What can an attacker send to trigger the process termination?
The peer sends a compressed payload that expands beyond the built-in 128 MiB decompressed-payload limit, followed by a malformed DEFLATE byte. Approximately 130 KB of compressed data can be sufficient, and repeated reconnections can repeat the crash.
How can I determine whether my deployment is in scope?
The affected version ranges are 6.25.0 through 6.28.1, 7.28.0 through 7.29.1, and 8.1.0 through 8.10.2. Check the installed undici version and whether the application uses its WebSocket client.
What remediation is provided?
Upgrade undici to 6.28.1, 7.29.1, or 8.10.2, as specified in the advisory data.