CVE-2026-56018

CVE-2026-56018 is a high-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-400.

Key facts

Description

JavaScript::Minifier::XS versions before 0.16 for Perl leak memory on every call to minify(), allowing unbounded memory growth. In JsMinify (XS.xs) the cleanup frees only the NodeSet structures and never the per-token contents buffers allocated in JsSetNodeContents; JsDiscardNode unlinks nodes without freeing their contents. Each token's contents buffer is therefore leaked on every call, and the two early returns taken when the node list is empty leak the whole NodeSet. A long-lived process that minifies repeatedly, such as an asset pipeline or a server-side minifier endpoint, grows in memory without bound until it exhausts available memory and is killed, causing denial of service.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-56018?
JavaScript::Minifier::XS versions before 0.16 for Perl leak memory on every call to minify(), allowing unbounded memory growth. In JsMinify (XS.xs) the cleanup frees only the NodeSet structures and never the per-token contents buffers allocated in JsSetNodeContents; JsDiscardNode unlinks nodes without freeing their contents. Each token's contents buffer is therefore leaked on every call, and the two early returns taken when the node list is empty leak the whole NodeSet. A long-lived process that minifies repeatedly, such as an asset pipeline or a server-side minifier endpoint, grows in memory without bound until it exhausts available memory and is killed, causing denial of service.
How severe is CVE-2026-56018?
CVE-2026-56018 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-56018 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (45th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-56018?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-56018 published?
CVE-2026-56018 was published on 2026-06-29 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

References

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