CVE-2025-9288: 
JavaScript vulnerability analysis and mitigation

A critical security vulnerability (CVE-2025-9288) has been discovered in sha.js through version 2.4.11. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation that allows input data manipulation. This widely used JavaScript library, which implements the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) family and receives over 14 million weekly downloads, is a fundamental component in many Node.js and browser-based applications that rely on cryptographic hashing for security (Security Online).

The vulnerability arises from missing input type checks that can allow types other than well-formed Buffer or string inputs. The flaw has been assigned a CVSS v4.0 base score of 9.1 (Critical) with the vector string CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:N. The technical issue allows for hash state manipulation, including the ability to turn a tagged hash into an untagged hash, and can lead to value miscalculation and hash collisions (GitHub Advisory).

The vulnerability's impact is severe and multifaceted. It can lead to hash collisions, cryptographic key extraction, and denial of service conditions. On subsequent systems, matching hashes but different numeric representations can result in issues up to private key extraction from cryptography libraries, as nonces generated through hash functions can be manipulated. This is particularly critical because matching nonces for different values often immediately leads to private key restoration (GitHub Advisory).

The vulnerability has been patched in version 2.4.12 of sha.js. Organizations and developers using sha.js should immediately upgrade to this patched version to prevent potential exploitation (GitHub Advisory).