Processing delays via unchecked NaN centroid means
Published Sep 9, 2026 · Updated Sep 10, 2026
Algorithmic-complexity DoS in Ted Dunning t-digest 3.1 through 3.3 allows remote attackers to cause severe merge delays. MergingDigest.fromBytes writes deserialized centroid means directly into its backing array without rejecting NaN, causing Sort.quickSort to partition one element per pass. Reachability requires an application to deserialize attacker-controlled digests and then merge or compress them; the bounded consequence is CPU exhaustion and processing delay, not data access or code execution.
Summary
What happened
Algorithmic-complexity DoS in Ted Dunning t-digest 3.1 through 3.3 allows remote attackers to cause severe merge delays. MergingDigest.fromBytes writes deserialized centroid means directly into its backing array without rejecting NaN, causing Sort.quickSort to partition one element per pass. Reachability requires an application to deserialize attacker-controlled digests and then merge or compress them; the bounded consequence is CPU exhaustion and processing delay, not data access or code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-87822
- Published
- Sep 9, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Ted Dunning
- Product
- t-digest
- Classifications
- CWE-502, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 10, 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=3.1 <=3.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Unvalidated NaN Centroid Means Cause Quadratic Blowup in MergingDigestproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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