Findings

CVE-2026-21713

A flaw in Node.js HMAC verification uses a non-constant-time comparison when validating user-provided signatures, potentially leaking timing information proportional t…

Published Mar 30, 2026 · updated Aug 19, 2026 · nodejs node.js

A flaw in Node.js HMAC verification uses a non-constant-time comparison when validating user-provided signatures, potentially leaking timing information proportional to the number of matching bytes. Under certain threat models where high-resolution timing measurements are possible, this behavior could be exploited as a timing oracle to infer HMAC values. Node.js already provides timing-safe comparison primitives used elsewhere in the codebase, indicating this is an oversight rather than an intentional design decision. This vulnerability affects **20.x, 22.x, 24.x, and 25.x**.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Mar 30, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    A flaw in Node.js HMAC verification uses a non-constant-time comparison when validating user-provided signatures, potentially leaking timing information proportional to the number of matching bytes. Under certain threat models where high-resolution timing measurements are possible, this behavior could be exploited as a timing oracle to infer HMAC values. Node.js already provides timing-safe compar

  2. Aug 19, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    A flaw in Node.js HMAC verification uses a non-constant-time comparison when validating user-provided signatures, potentially leaking timing information proportional to the number of matching bytes. Under certain threat models where high-resolution timing measurements are possible, this behavior could be exploited as a timing oracle to infer HMAC values. Node.js already provides timing-safe compar

Affected

  • cpe nodejs/node.jsversion unspecified

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-21713

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-21713

    A flaw in Node.js HMAC verification uses a non-constant-time comparison when validating user-provided signatures, potentially leaking timing information proportional to the number of matching bytes. Under certain threat models where high-resolution timing measurements are possibl

    nvd.nist.gov

References

CVE-2026-21713 · ZeroDay Findings