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doc: add Updates on CVE to EOL blog post (#7537)
* doc: add Updates on CVE to EOL blog post Refs: nodejs/security-wg#1443 * Apply suggestions from code review Co-authored-by: Michael Dawson <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Rafael Gonzaga <[email protected]> * fixup! doc: add Updates on CVE to EOL blog post * doc: update release date --------- Signed-off-by: Rafael Gonzaga <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Michael Dawson <[email protected]>
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apps/site/pages/en/blog/vulnerability/updates-cve-for-end-of-life.md
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| date: '2025-03-07T16:00:00.000Z' | ||
| category: vulnerability | ||
| title: Updates on CVE for End-of-Life Versions | ||
| layout: blog-post | ||
| author: Rafael Gonzaga | ||
| --- | ||
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| # Update on the issuance of CVEs to mark End-of-Life Node.js Versions | ||
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| **TL;DR:** CVE-2025-23087, CVE-2025-23088, and CVE-2025-23089 issued to | ||
| tag EOL versions have been rejected by MITRE. | ||
| The Node.js team has, therefore, decided to update previous vulnerability specific | ||
| CVEs to cover EOL releases, reflecting their ongoing security risks. This means that | ||
| all new CVEs issued will include EOL releases in the applicability until we have specific | ||
| information that indicates a CVE does not apply to an EOL release line. The project | ||
| does not plan to evaluate CVEs against EOL lines but information provided to the | ||
| project may be used to update the applicability if/when it is available. | ||
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| On January 21, 2025, Node.js released security patches for four active release | ||
| 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). | ||
| - **CVE-2025-23088:** Applies to Node.js v19. | ||
| - **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 | ||
| releases or include them in regular CVE version ranges. With over 20 EOL | ||
| versions—each with different dependencies, build processes, and | ||
| 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 | ||
| vulnerabilities may appear differently based on underlying components like OpenSSL. | ||
| 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 | ||
| > don’t have the resources to evaluate every single past release to know which | ||
| > are vulnerable. Node.js is run by volunteers. We have sufficient funding to | ||
| > maintain current releases, but not beyond that. In other words, all past Node.js | ||
| > releases are vulnerable or will soon be. This CVE highlights that risk for your | ||
| > organization." | ||
| > — Matteo Collina ([Source](https://x.com/matteocollina/status/1882892694722101326)) | ||
| ## Purpose of Issuing These CVEs | ||
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| Security scanners in production environments trigger alerts when an active | ||
| Node.js version is flagged as vulnerable, prompting an upgrade. If an EOL | ||
| version is not listed as affected, users might mistakenly consider their setup | ||
| secure. The Node.js Technical Steering Committee (TSC) noted that outdated | ||
| versions, such as Node.js v16 (which, despite being EOL for over a year, still | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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. | ||
| - 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 | ||
| does not determine the long-term stance of the CVE Program on EOL support. | ||
| 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 | ||
| line is to update previous CVEs to cover EOL releases, reflecting | ||
| their ongoing security risks. The process is being tracked in | ||
| [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 | ||
| 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, | ||
| the [OpenJS Ecosystem Sustainability Program](https://nodejs.org/en/about/previous-releases#commercial-support) | ||
| provides commercial support options. | ||
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| Thank you for your attention to this important matter. |