DNS rebinding in --inspect - Affected Node.js versions are vulnerable to denial of service attacks when the whitelist includes “localhost6”. When “localhost6” is not present in /etc/hosts, it is…

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

not scored

EPSS

• CVE-2021-22884: 36.84% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.51 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

DNS rebinding in --inspect - Affected Node.js versions are vulnerable to denial of service attacks when the whitelist includes “localhost6”. When “localhost6” is not present in /etc/hosts, it is just an ordinary domain that is resolved via DNS, i.e., over network. If the attacker controls the victim's DNS server or can spoof its responses, the DNS rebinding protection can be bypassed by using the “localhost6” domain. As long as the attacker uses the “localhost6” domain, they can still apply the attack described in CVE-2018-7160.

Published by the source

23 Feb 2021, 00:00 UTC

Last modified by the source

23 Feb 2021, 00:00 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:35 UTC

1. Revision 2 · published · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from vendor_advisory record nodejs-security-wg:core:74

2. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Created from vendor_advisory record nodejs-security-wg:core:74

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2021-22884

Advisory: DNS rebinding in --inspect - Affected Node.js versions are vulnerable to denial of service attacks when the whitelist includes “localhost6”. When “localhost6” is not present in /etc/hosts, it is…
IDs: CVE-2021-22884
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2021-22884 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:35 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Unrated
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: node 15.10.0, 14.16.0, 12.21.0, 10.24.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- runtime node: affected >= 10.0.0, < 10.24.0; >= 12.0.0, < 12.21.0; >= 14.0.0, < 14.16.0; >= 15.0.0, < 15.10.0; fixed in 15.10.0, 10.24.0, 14.16.0, 12.21.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- runtime node: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on node.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json (The nodejs.org release index dates the first patched release for CVE-2021-22884 to 2021-02-23.)
- Verified: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nodejs/security-wg/main/vuln/core/74.json (Node.js security working group core entry 74 lists CVE-2021-22884 affecting node >=10.0.0 =12.0.0 =14.0.0 =15.0.0 <15.10.0)

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