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The vulnerability in Seroval arises from its serialization and deserialization processes when handling objects with extreme nesting depth. Seroval is a JavaScript library designed for serializing data, but it uses recursive functions to traverse object structures. When an object contains deeply nested properties, such as an object within an object repeated thousands of times, the recursion depth increases linearly with each level. JavaScript engines have a maximum call stack size, and exceeding this limit causes a stack overflow error. This error crashes the Node.js process or browser thread, leading to a denial of service condition. Attackers can exploit this by providing maliciously crafted nested objects via user input, API endpoints, or stored data that Seroval serializes or deserializes. The library fails to impose any depth restriction, allowing unbounded recursion. This vulnerability is particularly critical in server-side applications where Seroval is used for data exchange, as it can be triggered remotely without authentication. The serialization of such objects consumes excessive resources and halts application functionality, affecting availability. The issue stems from the lack of cycle detection or depth limiting in the recursive algorithms, making it susceptible to simple payloads that require minimal bandwidth. Mitigation involves implementing a depth limit parameter to truncate or error out on deep recursion, preventing stack exhaustion.
Platform: Seroval library
Version: pre-mitigation versions
Vulnerability: Denial of Service
Severity: High
date: Jan 21, 2026
Prediction: Patch Jan 22, 2026
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bash commands and codes:
Install vulnerable version
npm install seroval@latest
Code to trigger DoS
const { serialize } = require(‘seroval’);
let obj = {};
let current = obj;
for (let i = 0; i < 100000; i++) {
current.nested = {};
current = current.nested;
}
serialize(obj); // Stack overflow
Check depth limit in patched version
const { serialize } = require(‘seroval’);
serialize(obj, { depthLimit: 100 });
how Exploit:
Craft deeply nested object payloads and submit via serialization endpoints to crash application.
Protection from this CVE:
Update Seroval library, use depthLimit parameter, validate input depths.
Impact:
Application crash, denial of service, availability loss.
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
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