Process hang via zero-width bit masking
Published Feb 20, 2026 · Updated Feb 20, 2026
Infinite loop in Fedor Indutny bn.js before 5.2.3 allows remote attackers to hang a process via code that invokes maskn(0). Calling maskn(0) sets the BN instance's length to zero, violating the minimum length invariant; later toString(), divmod(), and related methods never terminate. Exploitation requires an application to let untrusted input drive this library operation, and the bounded consequence is a process hang.
Summary
What happened
Infinite loop in Fedor Indutny bn.js before 5.2.3 allows remote attackers to hang a process via code that invokes maskn(0). Calling maskn(0) sets the BN instance's length to zero, violating the minimum length invariant; later toString(), divmod(), and related methods never terminate. Exploitation requires an application to let untrusted input drive this library operation, and the bounded consequence is a process hang.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-2739
- Published
- Feb 20, 2026
- Updated
- Feb 20, 2026
- Vendor
- Elliptic Project
- Product
- bn.js
- Classifications
- CWE-835, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 20, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 20, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <5.2.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Snyk bn.js maskn(0) proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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