@babel/runtime versions 7.18.0 and 7.17.9 provide Babel's collection of modular runtime helpers, essential for projects utilizing Babel to transpile modern JavaScript. Both versions, licensed under MIT, share the same dependency on regenerator-runtime (version ^0.13.4), reinforcing their commitment to supporting asynchronous operations in older environments. Developers relying on Babel for cross-browser compatibility or targeting specific ECMAScript standards will find either version beneficial.
The key difference lies in the updates and bug fixes delivered in version 7.18.0, released on May 19, 2022, compared to 7.17.9, released on April 6, 2022. Version 7.18.0 boasts a slightly increased file count (193 vs. 191) and a larger unpacked size (200553 bytes vs. 172598 bytes), indicating additions and modifications to the runtime helpers. While specific changelogs would detail the exact changes, the increased size suggests potential enhancements to existing helpers or the introduction of new ones. For developers, this means potentially improved performance, bug fixes related to previously transpiled code, or expanded support for newer JavaScript features within older environments. Upgrading to 7.18.0 is recommended to leverage these improvements, fostering more reliable and efficient code execution. Always consult the official Babel release notes for comprehensive information on the changes introduced in each version.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 7.18.0 of the package
Babel has inefficient RegExp complexity in generated code with .replace when transpiling named capturing groups
When using Babel to compile regular expression named capturing groups, Babel will generate a polyfill for the .replace method that has quadratic complexity on some specific replacement pattern strings (i.e. the second argument passed to .replace).
Your generated code is vulnerable if all the following conditions are true:
.replace method on a regular expression that contains named capturing groups.replaceIf you are using @babel/preset-env with the targets option, the transform that injects the vulnerable code is automatically enabled if:
You can verify what transforms @babel/preset-env is using by enabling the debug option.
This problem has been fixed in @babel/helpers and @babel/runtime 7.26.10 and 8.0.0-alpha.17, please upgrade. It's likely that you do not directly depend on @babel/helpers, and instead you depend on @babel/core (which itself depends on @babel/helpers). Upgrading to @babel/core 7.26.10 is not required, but it guarantees that you are on a new enough @babel/helpers version.
Please note that just updating your Babel dependencies is not enough: you will also need to re-compile your code.
If you are passing user-provided strings as the second argument of .replace on regular expressions that contain named capturing groups, validate the input and make sure it does not contain the substring $< if it's then not followed by > (possibly with other characters in between).
This vulnerability was reported and fixed in https://github.com/babel/babel/pull/17173.