GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) vulnerability in express-zod-api. A fix is available for express-zod-api — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Zod denial of service vulnerability during email validation
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
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-beta1npm install express-zod-api@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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
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 Security finds GHSA-mvrp-3cvx-c325 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.