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path-to-regexp vulnerable to Regular Expression Denial of Service via multiple wildcards

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Mar 26, 2026 in pillarjs/path-to-regexp • Updated Mar 27, 2026

Package

npm path-to-regexp (npm)

Affected versions

>= 8.0.0, < 8.4.0

Patched versions

8.4.0

Description

Impact

When using multiple wildcards, combined with at least one parameter, a regular expression can be generated that is vulnerable to ReDoS. This backtracking vulnerability requires the second wildcard to be somewhere other than the end of the path.

Unsafe examples:

/*foo-*bar-:baz
/*a-:b-*c-:d
/x/*a-:b/*c/y

Safe examples:

/*foo-:bar
/*foo-:bar-*baz

Patches

Upgrade to version 8.4.0.

Workarounds

If developers are using multiple wildcard parameters, they can check the regex output with a tool such as https://makenowjust-labs.github.io/recheck/playground/ to confirm whether a path is vulnerable.

References

@UlisesGascon UlisesGascon published to pillarjs/path-to-regexp Mar 26, 2026
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Mar 26, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 27, 2026
Reviewed Mar 27, 2026
Last updated Mar 27, 2026

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(12th percentile)

Weaknesses

Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity

The product uses a regular expression with an inefficient, possibly exponential worst-case computational complexity that consumes excessive CPU cycles. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-4923

GHSA ID

GHSA-27v5-c462-wpq7

Source code

Credits

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