GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325
HIGHGHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) vulnerability in express-zod-api. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Zod denial of service vulnerability during email validation
Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
express-zod-apinpmDescription
Impact
API servers running express-zod-api having:
- version of
express-zod-apibelow10.0.0-beta1, - and using the following (or similar) validation schema in its implementation:
z.string().email(),
are vulnerable to a DoS attack due to:
- Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in
zodversions up to3.22.2, - depending on
zod.
Patches
The patched version of zod fixing the vulnerability is 3.22.3.
However, it's highly recommended to upgrade express-zod-api to at least version 10.0.0, which does not depend on zod strictly and directly, but requires its installation as a peer dependency instead, enabling you to install the patched zod version yourself.
Workarounds
When it's not possible to upgrade your dependencies, consider the following replacement in your implementation:
- z.string().email()
+ z.string().regex(
+ /^(?!\.)(?!.*\.\.)([A-Z0-9_+-\.]*)[A-Z0-9_+-]@([A-Z0-9][A-Z0-9\-]*\.)+[A-Z]{2,}$/i
+ )
This regular expression is taken from the suggested patch of zod.
References
- Original issue: https://github.com/colinhacks/zod/issues/2609
- The patch: https://github.com/colinhacks/zod/pull/2824
- Entry in database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4316
- Enumeration: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1333.html
- Parent advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m95q-7qp3-xv42
- Changelog entry for
express-zod-apiversion10.0.0-beta1: https://github.com/RobinTail/express-zod-api/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md#v1000-beta1
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | express-zod-api | all versions | 10.0.0-beta1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for express-zod-api. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update express-zod-api to 10.0.0-beta1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.