CVE-2023-25166

Denial of service via inefficient number regex

Published Feb 8, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Regular expression denial of service in hapi.js Formula before 3.0.1 allows local users to hang a consuming application with crafted input. The parser's numberRx expression combines overlapping optional digit repetitions, causing polynomial processing of rejected numeric tokens. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass attacker-controlled strings to the parser; the resulting CPU exhaustion affects availability only.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.61%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Regular expression denial of service in hapi.js Formula before 3.0.1 allows local users to hang a consuming application with crafted input. The parser's numberRx expression combines overlapping optional digit repetitions, causing polynomial processing of rejected numeric tokens. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass attacker-controlled strings to the parser; the resulting CPU exhaustion affects availability only.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-25166
Published
Feb 8, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
hapi.js
Product
Formula
Classifications
CWE-1333, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 8, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 3.0.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

hapi.js · Formulaversion=< 3.0.1

Published CVSS scores

6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1333Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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