deno: Missing Cryptographic Step
CVE-2026-49440 is a high-severity missing cryptographic step vulnerability in deno from Denoland, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected deno versions: < 2.8.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.24% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of deno you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Deno is a JavaScript, TypeScript, and WebAssembly runtime. Prior to 2.8.1, node:crypto.checkPrime(candidate[, options][, callback]) and crypto.checkPrimeSync(candidate[, options]) ran no Miller-Rabin rounds at all when the caller left options.checks at its default of 0. In that mode, the only test applied to the candidate was trial division by the primes up to 17,863. Any composite whose smallest prime factor exceeds that bound — for example the product of two primes just above it, such as 17,881 × 17,891 — was reported as true ("probably prime"). The same divergence affected the lower-level op_node_check_prime / op_node_check_prime_bytes paths that the polyfill calls into. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.8.1.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Cryptographic Step
The product does not implement a required step in a cryptographic algorithm, resulting in weaker encryption than advertised by the algorithm.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- github.com/denoland/deno/security/advisories/GHSA-9xg4-qhm4-g43wThird Party Advisory
Patches and release notes
- github.com/denoland/deno/pull/34391Issue Tracking
Other vulnerabilities in deno
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Missing Cryptographic Step vulnerabilities
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
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