CVE-2025-27789 is a medium-severity vulnerability found in Babel, a compiler commonly used for writing next-generation JavaScript. The issue arises in versions prior to 7.26.10 and 8.0.0-alpha.17 when compiling regular expression named capturing groups. Specifically, Babel generates a polyfill for the `.replace` method that exhibits quadratic complexity for certain replacement pattern strings. This can lead to performance degradation in applications that rely on this functionality.
The vulnerability is present when all of the following conditions are met: Babel is used to compile regular expression named capturing groups, the `.replace` method is called on a regular expression that contains named capturing groups, and untrusted strings are provided as the second argument to `.replace`. Failure to address this vulnerability can lead to significant performance issues in affected applications.
This vulnerability has been addressed in the `@babel/helpers` and `@babel/runtime` versions 7.26.10 and 8.0.0-alpha.17. Although upgrading to `@babel/core` 7.26.10 is not strictly required, it ensures the inclusion of the necessary updated helpers. It is crucial to note that simply updating Babel dependencies is insufficient; developers must also re-compile the code to mitigate the risk. No known workarounds exist at this time.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to ensure their applications are secured against this performance-related vulnerability.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability allows for a performance issue when using Babel to compile regular expression named capturing groups. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 6.2, indicating a medium severity level. This score reflects the potential impact on availability, which is noted as high, while confidentiality and integrity impacts are marked as none.
The vulnerability was published on March 11, 2025. The specific CWE classification for this vulnerability is CWE-1333.
Technical Analysis
Root cause analysis points to an inefficient implementation of the `.replace` method in the generated code when using named capturing groups. The attack vector is local, meaning it requires access to the environment where Babel is used. The attack complexity is classified as low, with no privileges required and no user interaction necessary.
The impacts of this vulnerability are primarily on availability, as the quadratic complexity can lead to application slowdowns or hangs when untrusted strings are used as input.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Risk to organizations includes performance degradation in applications using Babel, especially those that handle untrusted input in their replacement patterns. The potential for significant application slowdowns could affect user experience and operational efficiency.
The urgency assessment based on the CVSS score indicates that organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. This is critical to maintain application performance and reliability.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
All versions of Babel prior to 7.26.10 and 8.0.0-alpha.17 are affected by this vulnerability. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the fixed versions to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should ensure they have upgraded to at least `@babel/helpers` and `@babel/runtime` versions 7.26.10 and 8.0.0-alpha.17. This will require recompiling code after the upgrade to ensure that the vulnerability is fully mitigated.
For more comprehensive testing of application security, organizations should consider utilizing penetration testing to validate the effectiveness of their security measures.
Detection Guidance
Monitoring for performance anomalies in applications using Babel for compiling JavaScript can help identify potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Key indicators include unexpected slowdowns or hangs when processing regular expressions with named capturing groups.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2025-27789 lies in its representation of potential inefficiencies in widely-used libraries like Babel. As organizations increasingly rely on third-party libraries for development, performance-related vulnerabilities can have a broader impact across many applications.
Security teams should remain vigilant in monitoring updates to their dependencies and ensure that they are incorporating best practices in their development processes. For more insights, refer to our penetration testing methodology and consider adopting a proactive security stance through vulnerability management programs to identify and mitigate similar risks in the future.
Finally, organizations are encouraged to explore AI security services for enhanced protection in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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