Resource exhaustion in Vercel Next.js
CVE-2026-27980
Next.js is a React framework for building full-stack web applications. Starting in version 10.0.0 and prior to version 16.1.7, the default Next.js image optimization disk cache (`/_next/image`) did not have a configurable upper bound, allowing unbounded cache growth. An attacker could generate many unique image-optimization variants and exhaust disk space, causing denial of service. This is fixed in version 16.1.7 by adding an LRU-backed disk cache with `images.maximumDiskCacheSize`, including eviction of least-recently-used entries when the limit is exceeded. Setting `maximumDiskCacheSize: 0` disables disk caching. If upgrading is not immediately possible, periodically clean `.next/cache/images` and/or reduce variant cardinality (e.g., tighten values for `images.localPatterns`, `images.remotePatterns`, and `images.qualities`).
Vulnerability class: DoS (Denial of Service)
EPSS: 0.007 (48.8th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
Affected products
- Vercel Next.js — versions >= 10.0.0, < 16.1.7
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)
- security-advisories@github.com (Patch, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC, Release Notes)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-27980?
- CVE-2026-27980 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vercel Next.js, classified under Uncontrolled Resource Consumption. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2026-03-18.
- How severe is CVE-2026-27980?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.