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doc: add Updates on CVE to EOL blog post
Refs: nodejs/security-wg#1443
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---
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date: '2025-03-06T16:00:00.000Z'
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category: vulnerability
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title: Updates on CVE for End-of-Life Versions
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layout: blog-post
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author: Rafael Gonzaga
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---
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# Rationale for Issuing CVEs on End-of-Life Node.js Versions
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**TL;DR:** CVE-2025-23087, CVE-2025-23088, and CVE-2025-23089 have been
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rejected by MITRE and therefore the Node.js team decided to update previous
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CVEs to cover EOL releases, reflecting their ongoing security risks.
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On January 21, 2025, Node.js released security patches for four active release
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lines. At the same time, CVEs were assigned to cover EOL (end-of-life) versions:
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* **CVE-2025-23087:** Applies to Node.js v17 and all earlier versions (including v0.x).
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* **CVE-2025-23088:** Applies to Node.js v19.
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* **CVE-2025-23089:** Applies to Node.js v21.
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For more details, refer to the original announcement: [Node.js Vulnerability Announcement](https://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/upcoming-cve-for-eol-versions).
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## Why Node.js Does Not Evaluate EOL Versions
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Due to resource constraints, Node.js does not assess security reports for EOL
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releases or include them in regular CVE version ranges. With over 20 EOL
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versions—each with different dependencies, build processes, and
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platform support—comprehensive vulnerability assessments are not feasible.
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Limiting reviews to a subset of EOL versions could lead to inaccuracies, as
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vulnerabilities may appear differently based on underlying components like OpenSSL.
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Thus, the focus remains on actively supported releases.
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> "Why did the Node.js project issue a CVE for all EOL releases? Because we
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don’t have the resources to evaluate every single past release to know which
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are vulnerable. Node.js is run by volunteers. We have sufficient funding to
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maintain current releases, but not beyond that. In other words, all past Node.js
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releases are vulnerable or will soon be. This CVE highlights that risk for your
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organization."
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> — Matteo Collina ([Source](https://x.com/matteocollina/status/1882892694722101326))
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## Purpose of Issuing These CVEs
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Security scanners in production environments trigger alerts when an active
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Node.js version is flagged as vulnerable, prompting an upgrade. If an EOL
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version is not listed as affected, users might mistakenly consider their setup
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secure. The Node.js Technical Steering Committee (TSC) noted that outdated
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versions, such as Node.js v16 (which, despite being EOL for over a year, still
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sees 11 million downloads per month), continue to be widely used.
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Assigning CVEs to EOL versions directly communicates the associated security
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risks to organizations.
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## Recent CVE Updates
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Following consultations with the CVE Program, HackerOne, and Node.js, further
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updates were made to these CVEs:
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* MITRE has tagged the CVEs with "unsupported when assigned" and marked them as "disputed" since they do not pinpoint a specific vulnerability.
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* A note has been added indicating that using the CVE List to report an unsupported product is a new approach under review.
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Ultimately, the Board decided to **reject** these CVEs. However, this decision
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does not determine the long-term stance of the CVE Program on EOL support.
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The Board will continue discussing potential solutions for managing EOL versions.
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Therefore, the only *viable* solution to reflect the risk of running and EOL
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line is to update previous CVEs to cover EOL releases, reflecting
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their ongoing security risks. The process is being tracked in
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[nodejs/security-wg#1443](https://github.com/nodejs/security-wg/issues/1443).
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## Questions and Feedback
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We understand that upgrading may require effort, and we’re here to help. If you have
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any questions or need assistance, please reach out to us via:
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- [Node.js Help Repository](https://github.com/nodejs/help)
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For organizations or developers who require continued use of EOL Node.js versions,
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the [OpenJS Ecosystem Sustainability Program](https://nodejs.org/en/about/previous-releases#commercial-support)
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provides commercial support options.
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Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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