smol-toml: Quadratic-time parse() from parseKey rescanning to end of document on each key line
### Summary `parse()` has a quadratic-time path in `parseKey`, reachable on default options with ordinary valid input. For every key line and table-header line, `parseKey` (dist/struct.js, lines 58 and 86) finds the dotted-key separator with `ctx.s.indexOf('.', ctx.p)`, where `ctx.s` is the whole document. When a key has no `.` ahead of it, that search runs all the way to the end of the input, and the result is then clamped back to the line terminator `endPtr` - so everything scanned past the current line is wasted. `parseKey` runs once per line, so a document of N dot-free keys costs O(n^2). The most ordinary TOML shape triggers it: a flat list of `key = value` lines, or a repeated `[[a]]` table. No dotted keys, no special options, valid input throughout. ### Proof of concept ```js import { parse } from 'smol-toml' let doc = '' for (let i = 0; i < 256000; i++) doc += 'k' + i + ' = 1\n' console.time('parse') parse(doc) // ~2.8 MB of valid TOML, default options console.timeEnd('parse') ``` Doubling the line count roughly quadruples the time: | lines | size | parse() | |---|---|---| | 32k | 0.3 MB | 0.3 s | | 64k | 0.7 MB | 1.0 s | | 128k | 1.4 MB | 3.5 s | | 256k | 2.8 MB | 14 s | ### Impact Any service that runs `parse()` on attacker-supplied TOML can be stalled. The work is synchronous, so it blocks the whole event loop, and the quadratic is unbounded: a ~7 MB body pins a core for about a minute, larger bodies for several. ### Patches Version 1.9.0 uses a different implement
GHSA-r4xh-jqrq-34v2
Primary source · Revision 1
Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.
Security context
Source reference: osv:GHSA-r4xh-jqrq-34v2
smol-toml
Source reference: /affected/0/package/name
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- 1.9.0
Source reference:
/affected/0/ranges - Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Structured affected-version data
Original package identities and version rules from this source.
[
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "SEMVER",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "1.9.0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "smol-toml",
"purl": "pkg:npm/smol-toml",
"ecosystem": "npm"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/10/GHSA-r4xh-jqrq-34v2/GHSA-r4xh-jqrq-34v2.json",
"last_known_affected_version_range": "<= 1.8.0"
}
}
]Publisher severity
medium
Source reference: /severity/0/score
- Event
- #85957 · Revision 1
- Added to Heist Feed
- Publisher date