Red Hat CVE-2026-27980
HIGH
GHSA-3x4c-7xq6-9pq8
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessSend requests for unique image variants
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ExploitNext.js generates optimization cache entries
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ExecutionDisk space exhausts without limit
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ImpactService becomes unavailable
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Resource consumption limits
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Next.js application with default image optimization enabled at /_next/image endpoint and no maximumDiskCacheSize configuration limit set |
| Impact | Service disruption affecting availability. In critical infrastructure, DoS can have cascading effects on dependent systems. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker sends specially crafted requests that cause excessive resource consumption (CPU, memory, disk) or trigger a crash in the target application. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 17, 2026
Next.js image optimization caches unbounded disk space by default, enabling attackers to exhaust storage and cause denial of service by requesting numerous image variants. The vulnerability affects applications using the default /_next/image optimization feature without explicit cache size limits. A patch is available that introduces configurable cache size limits with LRU eviction.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
RemediationAI
A vendor patch is available — apply it immediately. Implement rate limiting and input validation. Use timeout mechanisms for resource-intensive operations. Deploy DDoS protection where applicable.
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in npm
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
A denial of service vulnerability allows an attacker to disrupt the normal functioning of a system, making it unavailable to legitimate users. This vulnerability is classified as Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400).
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.
CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionGitHub Advisory
Summary
The default Next.js image optimization disk cache (/_next/image) did not have a configurable upper bound, allowing unbounded cache growth.
Impact
An attacker could generate many unique image-optimization variants and exhaust disk space, causing denial of service.
Patches
Fixed by adding an LRU-backed disk cache with images.maximumDiskCacheSize, including eviction of least-recently-used entries when the limit is exceeded. Setting maximumDiskCacheSize: 0 disables disk caching.
Workarounds
If upgrade is not immediately possible:
- Periodically clean
.next/cache/images. - Reduce variant cardinality (e.g., tighten values for
images.localPatterns,images.remotePatterns, andimages.qualities)
Blast Radius
ecosystem impact- 10 npm packages depend on next (9 direct, 1 indirect)
Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 16.0.0-beta.0.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2026-27980 presents notable security risk, a resource exhaustion vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. Exploitation could cause service disruption or denial of service, impacting availability for legitimate users. A patch is available and should be applied as part of regular vulnerability management.
Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
Exploit-DB