CVE-2017-16023: Regular Expression Denial of Service in decamelize
Summary
CVE-2017-16023: Regular Expression Denial of Service in decamelize. Affects decamelize versions >= 1.1.0, < 1.1.2. Fixed in 1.1.2. How to fix ↓
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Background
The decamelize package is an npm package that provides a function for converting camel case strings to kebab case. It is commonly used in JavaScript applications to transform variable names or object keys. However, versions of decamelize prior to 1.1.2 are vulnerable to a regular expression denial of service (ReDoS) attack when user input is directly passed into the decamelize function.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in decamelize arises from the way it handles user input. By passing specially crafted input, an attacker can cause the regular expression used by decamelize to exhibit exponential time complexity, leading to a denial of service. This can result in excessive CPU usage and potentially impact the availability of the application. The vulnerability is rated as HIGH severity and has been assigned the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) ID CWE-400.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 7.0.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
npm install decamelize@7.0.0Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
1.1.2
This is the first release that contains the fix.
npm install decamelize@1.1.2Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability.
Conclusion
The decamelize package prior to version 1.1.2 is vulnerable to a regular expression denial of service attack. It is recommended to update to the latest version of the package to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, you can contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for decamelize →
FAQ
The vulnerability can be exploited to launch a denial of service attack, potentially impacting the availability of the affected application.
You can use the Vulert Playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability. Simply upload your package-lock.json file and Vulert will provide real-time alerts for open-source vulnerabilities.
No, only versions prior to 1.1.2 are vulnerable to this specific regular expression denial of service vulnerability.
There is no known public exploit for this vulnerability at the time of this advisory.
You can find more information about this vulnerability in the GitHub Advisory Database at https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2018/07/GHSA-q5c4-39f5-m68j/GHSA-q5c4-39f5-m68j.json
