# CVE-2026-44488: Axios resource exhaustion via size limit bypass in fetch adapter

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44488-axios-resource-exhaustion-via-size-limit-bypass-in-fetch-adapter  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-11. Updated: 2026-06-11  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44488 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-06-11

Axios, a widely used tool for making web requests in applications, failed to enforce size limits on data being sent or received when using its 'fetch' adapter. This means that even if a developer set a maximum size for security, an attacker could send a massive amount of data or force the application to download a huge file. This can lead to the application crashing or becoming unavailable due to memory and processing exhaustion.

Technologies: [Axios](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/axios), [axios (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/npm-axios). Vendors: [Axios](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/axios), [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44488 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44488 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44488?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 11 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Axios >= 1.7.0, < 1.16.0, >= 1.7.0, < 1.16.0; >= 0.32.0 (for 0.x branch); axios (npm) SEMVER:introduced=1.7.0,fixed=1.16.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44488?** Yes. axios (npm): upgrade to 1.16.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-44488 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44488?** Check whether you run Axios or axios (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- axios (npm): upgrade to 1.16.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install axios@1.16.0
  ```


## Technical details

A resource exhaustion vulnerability exists in Axios (versions 1.7.0 to 1.15.x) due to the 'fetch' adapter failing to implement size limit checks. Specifically, lib/adapters/fetch.js does not destructure or utilize maxContentLength or maxBodyLength from the request configuration. This allows the adapter to dispatch requests and materialize responses (via text, arrayBuffer, or blob) that exceed configured boundaries. Attackers can exploit this by providing large 'data:' URLs or by returning oversized responses from a malicious server, leading to memory or CPU exhaustion in server-side runtimes. The issue is resolved in versions 0.32.0 and 1.16.0 by adding upfront size checks and streaming enforcement.

## Affected products

- Axios Axios >= 1.7.0, < 1.16.0; >= 0.32.0 (for 0.x branch)

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-44488
- GHSA-777c-7fjr-54vf

## Timeline

- 2026-05-30: advisory: GitHub advisory published by maintainers
- 2026-06-11: disclosed: CVE-2026-44488 published to NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-777c-7fjr-54vf](https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-777c-7fjr-54vf)

## Related threats

- [Axios NO_PROXY CIDR notation bypass in Node.js adapter](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101899-axios-cidr-form-no-proxy-entries-are-ignored-causing-proxy)
- [Axios prototype pollution in ToFormData](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101909-axios-is-a-promise-based-http-client-for-the-browser-and-node-js)
- [Axios fetch adapter header injection via prototype pollution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101908-axios-is-a-promise-based-http-client-for-the-browser-and-node-js)
- [Axios fetch adapter maxRedirects bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101907-axios-is-a-promise-based-http-client-for-the-browser-and-node-js)
- [Axios ReDoS in shouldBypassProxy regular expression](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101906-axios-is-a-promise-based-http-client-for-the-browser-and-node-js)