CVE-2022-23487

Patches (What to do as a js-libp2p consumer:)

Update your js-libp2p dependency to v0.38.0 or greater.

Workarounds

There are no workarounds, and so we recommend to upgrade your js-libp2p version.
Some range of attacks can be mitigated using OS tools (like manually blocking malicious peers using iptables or ufw ) or making use of a load balancer in front of libp2p nodes.
You can also use the allow deny list in js-libp2p to deny specific peers.

However these require direct action & responsibility on your part and are no substitutes for upgrading js-libp2p. Therefore, we highly recommend upgrading your js-libp2p version for the way it enables tighter scoped limits and provides visibility into and easier reasoning about js-libp2p resource utilization.

References

• DoS Mitigation page for more information on how to incorporate mitigation strategies, monitor your application, and respond to attacks: https://docs.libp2p.io/reference/dos-mitigation/.
• Documentation on how to configure limits to prevent excessive resource consumption: https://github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/blob/master/doc/LIMITS.md
• Documentation on how to configure metrics: https://github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/blob/master/doc/METRICS.md

Please see the related disclosure for go-libp2p: https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/security/advisories/GHSA-j7qp-mfxf-8xjw and rust-libp2p: https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/security/advisories/GHSA-jvgw-gccv-q5p8

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please email us at [email protected].

Versions older than v0.38.0 of js-libp2p are vulnerable to targeted resource exhaustion attacks. These attacks target libp2p’s connection, stream, peer, and memory management. An attacker can cause the allocation of large amounts of memory, ultimately leading to the process getting killed by the host’s operating system. While a connection manager tasked with keeping the number of connections within manageable limits has been part of js-libp2p, this component was designed to handle the regular churn of peers, not a targeted resource exhaustion attack.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2022-23487 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). 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 (0.38.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2022-23487? CVE-2022-23487 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in libp2p (npm), affecting versions < 0.38.0. It is fixed in 0.38.0. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-23487? CVE-2022-23487 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). 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 libp2p are affected by CVE-2022-23487? libp2p (npm) versions < 0.38.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23487? Yes. CVE-2022-23487 is fixed in 0.38.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-23487 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23487 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-2022-23487 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-2022-23487? Upgrade libp2p to 0.38.0 or later.

Other vulnerabilities in libp2p