js-yaml: YAML merge-key chains can force quadratic CPU consumption
nodeca · js-yaml
Official source article: GitHub GHSA-G796-FGMG-93MV ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.
5.3MediumCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days
Medium technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:High, raised one band.upgradedsince 9 Jul 2026
Evidence used
No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
A structured source references public exploit or proof-of-concept material.
The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
EPSS is 0.64% for the current model date.
Compensating controls
Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.
Verification
Confirm that the asset runs nodeca js-yaml and falls inside the recorded affected range.
Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Distribution package intelligence
Release-specific package status
Debian, ubuntu findings are scoped to the named distribution, release and source package. An absent finding does not mean a package is unaffected.
5 package states
Repository candidate not checked
A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.
Distribution release
Source package
Vendor state
Fixed version
Evidence
Debian trixietrixie · source
node-js-yaml
Not affectedDebian marks this release not affected (fixed-version marker 0).
Open-source package ranges1 source-attributed range
These OSV and GitHub advisory ranges apply only to the named package and ecosystem. A listed fixed version is not a universal product patch or proof that an update is installed.
Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.
1 current
CVE-2026-59868 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securityjs-yaml: js-yaml: Denial of Service via quadratic CPU time parsing with merge keys
32 fixed
The vendor explicitly identifies these products or versions as containing the fix.
registry.redhat.io/discovery/discovery-ui-rhel9@sha256:480c69f89b45c714ec13a7901bc8615a2fa3f4622c889cd023d80a6278855a58_arm64 as a component of Red Hat Discovery 2
registry.redhat.io/discovery/discovery-ui-rhel9@sha256:def96951197558d6c5d1784a7971b0e37b44025c60d9b59fe6797085e39c382a_amd64 as a component of Red Hat Discovery 2
dotnet8-0-main@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
dotnet8-0-main@src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
dotnet8-0-main@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs20-main@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs20-main@noarch as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs20-main@src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs20-main@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs22-main@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs22-main@noarch as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
nodejs22-main@src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
Summary
A flaw was found in js-yaml, a JavaScript YAML parser and dumper. When merge keys are enabled, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting a YAML document where a chain of mappings uses merge keys, each merging the previous one. This can lead to a significant increase in CPU time required to parse the document, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) for the affected system.
Remediation
The containers required to run Discovery can be installed through discovery-installer RPM. See the official documentation for more details.
Optional official sources
National CERT insights ?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.
Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.
Official European source
ENISA European Vulnerability Database
Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.
1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier
EUVD-2026-42302
No EUVD known-exploited evidence
ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.
EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days
Medium technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Patch available
01
What, why and how
js-yaml is a JavaScript YAML parser and dumper. From 5.0.0 before 5.2.0, when merge keys are enabled, js-yaml can spend quadratic CPU time parsing a document whose size grows only linearly when a chain of mappings uses merge keys where each mapping merges the previous one. This issue is fixed in version 5.2.0.
What
js-yaml is a JavaScript YAML parser and dumper. From 5.0.0 before 5.2.0, when merge keys are enabled, js-yaml can spend quadratic CPU time parsing a document whose size grows only linearly when a chain of mappings uses merge keys where each mapping merges the previous one. This issue is fixed in version 5.2.0.
Why
An algorithm in a product has an inefficient worst-case computational complexity that may be detrimental to system performance and can be triggered by an attacker, typically using crafted manipulations that ensure that the worst case is being reached.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
js-yaml is a JavaScript YAML parser and dumper. From 5.0.0 before 5.2.0, when merge keys are enabled, js-yaml can spend quadratic CPU time parsing a document whose size grows only linearly when a chain of mappings uses merge keys where each mapping merges the previous one. This issue is fixed in version 5.2.0.
Why
An algorithm in a product has an inefficient worst-case computational complexity that may be detrimental to system performance and can be triggered by an attacker, typically using crafted manipulations that ensure that the worst case is being reached.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation ?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No confirmed evidence
No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material ?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.Reference recorded
A structured CVE source labels at least one public reference as exploit material. BlackTree has not independently validated that it is safe, reliable or weaponised.
Likely attack path
a network path → Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness ?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-407: Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity. An algorithm in a product has an inefficient worst-case computational complexity that may be detrimental to system performance and can be triggered by an attacker, typically using crafted manipulations that ensure that the worst case is being reached.
CVSS vector ?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CNoneConfidentiality impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ALowAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-42302Official EUVD mapping
0 linked advisory records.
Official EUVD record ↗BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-3221IBM App Connect Enterprise: Mehrere Schwachstellen
Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in IBM App Connect Enterprise ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen, erweiterte Berechtigungen zu erlangen, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, vertrauliche Informationen offenzulegen oder Denial-of-Service-Zustände herbeizuführen.
Official advisory ↗JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-023539NodecaのJS-YAMLにおける複数の脆弱性
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
Status ?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
The containers required to run Discovery can be installed through discovery-installer RPM. See the official documentation for more details.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 8 Jul 2026 · Last source change 9 Jul 2026, 13:42 UTC · CWE-407 · Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source ?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-42302
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.