9.2
CRITICAL CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-78689
NGINX JavaScript XML Module Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability
Description

Description NGINX JavaScript (njs) has a vulnerability in the XML module's namespace prefix list parser, reachable through the xml.exclusiveC14n() method. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger it when an affected NGINX configuration passes an externally controlled XML namespace prefix list to that method. Both the njs and the QuickJS (qjs) engines are affected. A crafted prefix list causes an out-of-bounds write past the end of a heap allocation. With the njs engine, which is the engine used when the js_engine directive is absent, this corrupts adjacent objects and crashes the NGINX worker. With the QuickJS engine, the same call additionally leaks the prefix list on every invocation, causing worker memory to grow across requests. The official nginxinc/nginx-saml reference implementation is affected during SAML signature verification. It reads InclusiveNamespaces/@PrefixList from an untrusted SAML message and passes it to xml.exclusiveC14n() before the signature has been verified, so a valid SAML signature is not required. A crafted SAML Response, Assertion, LogoutRequest, or LogoutResponse is sufficient. Code execution has not been demonstrated and cannot be ruled out for all platforms, as the effect of the out-of-bounds write depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control.   Impact This vulnerability allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service on the NGINX system, either through repeatable worker restarts or through worker memory growth or possibly trigger code execution. There is no control plane exposure; this is a data plane issue only. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

INFO

Published Date :

Sept. 2, 2026, 4:17 p.m.

Last Modified :

Sept. 2, 2026, 6:21 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-78689 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 F5 njs
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL [email protected]
Solution
Update NGINX to patch the XML module's namespace prefix list parser.
  • Update NGINX to the latest version.
  • Apply vendor-provided patches for njs.
  • Review SAML configurations.
  • Limit untrusted XML processing.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-78689.

URL Resource
https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000162602
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-78689 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-78689 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-78689 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-78689 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Sep. 02, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-78689', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-09-02T17:58:03.342061Z'}
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Sep. 02, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description Description NGINX JavaScript (njs) has a vulnerability in the XML module's namespace prefix list parser, reachable through the xml.exclusiveC14n() method. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger it when an affected NGINX configuration passes an externally controlled XML namespace prefix list to that method. Both the njs and the QuickJS (qjs) engines are affected. A crafted prefix list causes an out-of-bounds write past the end of a heap allocation. With the njs engine, which is the engine used when the js_engine directive is absent, this corrupts adjacent objects and crashes the NGINX worker. With the QuickJS engine, the same call additionally leaks the prefix list on every invocation, causing worker memory to grow across requests. The official nginxinc/nginx-saml reference implementation is affected during SAML signature verification. It reads InclusiveNamespaces/@PrefixList from an untrusted SAML message and passes it to xml.exclusiveC14n() before the signature has been verified, so a valid SAML signature is not required. A crafted SAML Response, Assertion, LogoutRequest, or LogoutResponse is sufficient. Code execution has not been demonstrated and cannot be ruled out for all platforms, as the effect of the out-of-bounds write depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control.   Impact This vulnerability allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service on the NGINX system, either through repeatable worker restarts or through worker memory growth or possibly trigger code execution. There is no control plane exposure; this is a data plane issue only. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-122
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/78xxx/CVE-2026-78689.json">CVE-2026-78689</a>
    Added Reference https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000162602
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.