@babel/runtime is a crucial package for developers using Babel, providing modular runtime helpers that enable compiled JavaScript code to function correctly across different environments. Examining versions 7.25.9 and 7.25.7 reveals subtle yet potentially impactful differences. Both versions share the same core description and dependencies, relying on regenerator-runtime version ^0.14.0 for generator function support. They are both under the MIT license and maintained by The Babel Team. The file count and unpacked size in the dist object are identical between the two versions.
The key difference lies in the release dates. Version 7.25.9 was released on October 22, 2024, whereas 7.25.7 came out on October 2, 2024. This 20-day gap suggests that version 7.25.9 likely includes bug fixes, minor performance improvements, or other small enhancements implemented since the earlier release. While the nature of these changes isn't explicitly detailed in the provided data, developers should prioritize using the latest version (7.25.9) to benefit from the most up-to-date and stable runtime environment. Staying current ensures access to the newest fixes and refinements, minimizing potential compatibility issues and maximizing the efficiency of Babel-transformed code. Developers seeking optimal performance and reliability in their Babel-powered projects should upgrade to version 7.25.9.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 7.25.9 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.