multer vulnerable to file size limit bypass via async fileFilter race condition
Published 8 Sept 2026 · Updated 8 Sept 2026
Affected package
- Affected
- <2.3.0
- Fixed in
- 2.3.0
npm install multer@2.3.0Details
Impact
When multer is configured with an asynchronous fileFilter, the limits.fileSize limit can be bypassed. The 'limit' event is registered inside the async fileFilter callback, so if a file exceeds limits.fileSize before that callback runs, the event is missed and the oversized upload is accepted instead of being rejected with a LIMIT_FILE_SIZE error. Applications that rely on limits.fileSize to reject oversized uploads are affected on all upload methods (.single(), .array(), .fields(), .any()). Uploads using a synchronous fileFilter are not affected.
Patches
Users should upgrade to 2.3.0.
Workarounds
Use a synchronous fileFilter, or validate the uploaded file size after the upload completes.
Is GHSA-qvfw-j98x-7q72 in any of your client repos?
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References
- Linkgithub.com/expressjs/multer/security/advisories/GHSA-qvfw-j98x-7q72
- Advisorynvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-77063
- Linkgithub.com/expressjs/multer/commit/ab6aeae650328cf31799dcfa4c3e116ba8faaacc
- Linkcna.openjsf.org/security-advisories.html
- Packagegithub.com/expressjs/multer
- Linkgithub.com/expressjs/multer/releases/tag/v2.3.0
Advisory data from OSV.dev (opens OSV.dev in a new tab), refreshed daily.