CVE-2026-53550js-yaml: Quadratic-complexity DoS in merge key handling via repeated aliases
- 5.3MediumCVSS base score
- 0.41%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 64% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
js-yaml is a JavaScript YAML parser and dumper. Prior to 4.2.0 and 3.15.0, a crafted YAML document can trigger algorithmic CPU exhaustion in js-yaml merge-key processing (<<) by repeating the same alias many times in a merge sequence. This causes quadratic parse-time behavior relative to input size and can block a Node.js worker/event loop for seconds with a relatively small payload (tens of KB), resulting in denial of service. The issue is in merge handling inside lib/loader.js. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.0 and 3.15.0.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 13 days later
· 13 days later
Published
- 7 days later
· 7 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium5.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | Medium5.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.41% · top 64% of all CVEs (15 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.3.
Affected products
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- npmjs-yamlGHSA-h67p-54hq-rp68 (opens in a new tab)
References
References1
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-38256 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-h67p-54hq-rp68 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-53550)Record last updated .