CVE-2024-37890Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Server crash via omitted Upgrade header dereference

Published Jun 17, 2024 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

NULL pointer dereference in WebSockets ws allows remote attackers to crash a server through an HTTP upgrade request containing excessive headers. The handshake path calls toLowerCase() on req.headers.upgrade even when Node.js omits that value after the header count exceeds maxHeadersCount. A reachable ws server with a nonzero header-count limit is exposed; the demonstrated consequence is process termination, not data access or modification.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in WebSockets ws allows remote attackers to crash a server through an HTTP upgrade request containing excessive headers. The handshake path calls toLowerCase() on req.headers.upgrade even when Node.js omits that value after the header count exceeds maxHeadersCount. A reachable ws server with a nonzero header-count limit is exposed; the demonstrated consequence is process termination, not data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-37890
Published
Jun 17, 2024
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
WebSockets
Product
ws
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <5.2.4
  2. Affected versionversion=0 <6.2.3
  3. Affected versionversion=0 <7.5.10
  4. Affected versionversion=0 <8.17.1
  5. Affected versionversion=2.1.0
  6. Affected versionversion=>= 2.1.0, < 5.2.4
  7. Affected versionversion=6.0.0
  8. Affected versionversion=>= 6.0.0, < 6.2.3
  9. Affected versionversion=7.0.0
  10. Affected versionversion=>= 7.0.0, < 7.5.10
  11. Affected versionversion=8.0.0
  12. Affected versionversion=>= 8.0.0, < 8.17.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

WebSockets · wsversion=0 <5.2.4; version=0 <6.2.3; version=0 <7.5.10; version=0 <8.17.1; version=2.1.0; version=>= 2.1.0, < 5.2.4; version=6.0.0; version=>= 6.0.0, < 6.2.3; version=7.0.0; version=>= 7.0.0, < 7.5.10; version=8.0.0; version=>= 8.0.0, < 8.17.1

Published CVSS scores

7.5GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

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

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo