Medium [CVE-2026-54285] @opentelemetry/core: opentelemetry-js: @opentelemetry/core: Denial of Service via oversized baggage HTTP headers
This medium-severity Red Hat Linux advisory covers CVE-2026-54285.
Aggregated and source-linked by VulniPulse. Data sources, validation and limitations.
VulniPulse record published Record updated
Summary
opentelemetry-js is the OpenTelemetry JavaScript Client. Prior to 2.8.0, W3CBaggagePropagator.extract() in @opentelemetry/core does not enforce size limits when parsing inbound baggage HTTP headers.
The W3C Baggage specification recommends a maximum of 8,192 bytes and 180 entries; these limits were only enforced on the outbound (inject()) path, not on the inbound (extract()) path. Parsing oversized baggage causes memory allocation proportional to the header size without any cap.
This vulnerability is fixed in 2.8.0. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to trigger uncontrolled memory allocation by sending oversized baggage HTTP headers.
The system's inability to enforce size limits during inbound baggage parsing can lead to resource exhaustion, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS). Red Hat products ship @opentelemetry/core as a transitive dependency in several components, but the vulnerable W3CBaggagePropagator.extract() code path has limited practical impact.
Node.js enforces a default --max-http-header-size of 16,384 bytes, which caps the total size of all HTTP headers before they reach the propagator. The baggage header is already parsed and in memory by the HTTP layer; the additional allocation from the propagator is only the overhead of splitting into entry objects, not an unbounded read.
Is CVE-2026-54285 exploited?
No exploitation is reported in the sources VulniPulse tracks: CVE-2026-54285 is not in the CISA KEV catalog (checked ) and this advisory does not report exploitation. That is not proof the vulnerability cannot be exploited.
How do I fix CVE-2026-54285?
Upgrade to a fixed release named by Red Hat:
- 2.8.0
Confirm against the vendor advisory before you patch.
- < 2.8.0
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 14 days ago·verify at source
Mitigation checklist
- Ensure HTTP header size limits are configured at the server or gateway level. The default Node.js HTTP header limit (16 KB) mitigates external attack vectors independently of this fix. For non-HTTP transports receiving baggage from untrusted sources, validate input size before passing it to the propagator.
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 14 days ago·verify at source
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