The Node.js security release of 21 October

Node.js, updated and signed off

We update Node.js on servers and in Docker images, check where your app decodes Brotli, confirm what your platform really runs, and move apps off Node.js 18 and 20. Fixed prices, and a dated sign-off of what we did and how we checked it.

  • Fixed prices from £195
  • Dated written sign-off
  • Tests run before go-live
  • Based in London

Fix it now

Node.js security release response

For apps on Node.js 22, 24 or 26 that need the 21 October fixes. Each job ends with a dated sign-off.

Platform and runtime confirmation

£195

2 working days

For apps on a platform: Vercel, AWS Lambda, Heroku, Render and the like. Some update Node.js themselves, some only when you rebuild. We confirm which Node.js actually runs your code.

  • The Node.js version read from the running app, not from its configuration
  • Container-based functions found: they need rebuilding, not waiting
  • The platform's own statement checked against the fixed releases
  • A dated one-page sign-off for your records or your client

Patch and verify

£450per app or server

Done within 2 working days

For Node.js you run yourself: on a server, in Docker, or in images your CI builds. We update it, prove it, and check the Brotli exposure.

  • Every Node.js runtime found: servers, Dockerfiles, CI images, workers and cron jobs
  • Updated to 26.12.1, 24.22.1 or 22.23.4, images rebuilt from the fixed base and redeployed
  • The running version checked in production
  • Brotli exposure reviewed: Express 5 body parsers, @fastify/compress, outbound fetch
  • A dated written sign-off of what changed and how it was verified

Patch and verify, priority

£750per app or server

Work starts within 4 working hours

The same job, started the same working day. We take up to two priority jobs a day across PHP and Node.js.

  • Everything in Patch and verify
  • Work starts within 4 working hours of booking and access
  • Additional services in the same job: £250 each

Get off old Node.js

Node.js upgrades

Node.js 18, 20 and 25 are end-of-life and got no fix on 21 October. We move apps to Node.js 24, or 26 once it becomes long-term support on 28 October, tested on a staging copy first.

Upgrade from Node.js 18 or 20

£795

5 working days

One app on an end-of-life Node.js, moved to Node.js 24 or 26 long-term support.

  • Dependencies and native modules checked against the new Node.js
  • Fixes for anything that breaks, with your tests run on a staging copy
  • Dockerfiles and CI images moved to the fixed release
  • Rollback plan, live switch and 14 days of fixes after

Complex upgrade

£1,950

10 working days

Several services, a monorepo, native add-ons, or a framework move such as Express 4 to 5, up to about two days of work.

  • Everything in the single-app upgrade
  • Framework and build tooling brought up to date
  • Each service verified in production

Legacy Node.js application

From £4,500

Scoped first

Node.js 16 or older, abandoned frameworks, or code nobody has touched in years. A paid scoping day (£900, credited against the work) comes first, then a fixed quote.

  • Scoping day: £900, credited if you go ahead
  • A fixed price and timeline before any build starts

Keep it fixed

Patch Watch

Node.js announces security releases about a week ahead. Patch Watch reads those notices for you, tells you before release day whether you're affected, and books the update in. Every release we're tracking

Patch Watch: site

£99a month per site

Set up within 5 working days

For a site on managed hosting or a platform. We watch its PHP or Node.js, its platform and its end-of-life dates, and keep it current.

  • Advance warning when PHP, Node.js, OpenSSL or your platform pre-announce a security release
  • Critical security updates applied within 14 days of release, with dated evidence
  • End-of-life tracking, with upgrades planned before support runs out
  • Monthly backup check and report
  • Email support in UK working hours

Patch Watch: server

£249a month per server

Set up within 5 working days

For a server or container host you own. We keep its operating system, PHP or Node.js patched and prove it each month.

  • Advance warning of pre-announced security releases, and whether you run an affected version, before release day
  • Operating system, PHP and Node.js updates, restarts and redeploys verified
  • Critical security updates applied within 14 days of release, with dated evidence
  • Monthly backup restore test and report
  • Email support in UK working hours

All prices are fixed, excluding VAT, and agreed in writing before any work starts.

Questions

Before you book

What access do you need?

For a server: a separate SSH account or key just for us. For containers and CI: access to the repository and the pipeline, or a pairing session with your developer. For a platform such as Vercel or Lambda: read access to the project. Never your own password, and you remove our access when the job is signed off.

What if the update breaks the app?

Patch releases within a Node.js line rarely break apps, and we run your tests on the new version before anything goes live. Upgrades from Node.js 18 or 20 are rehearsed on a staging copy with a rollback plan. If something breaks, we roll back and fix it within the job's price.

Do you check whether we were attacked?

We found no reports of exploitation as of 21 October. If your app decodes Brotli from outside and the logs or behaviour look wrong, we'll say so and quote a compromise check, the same £850 as for PHP servers. For a confirmed breach involving personal or payment data we'll refer you to an NCSC-assured incident response provider.

What are your working hours?

09:00 to 17:30 UK time, Monday to Friday. Turnaround times count working hours and days. We don't sell 24/7 cover we can't staff.

Do you work outside the UK?

We work with businesses in the UK and Ireland, and take on work from elsewhere in Europe and North America on request. Prices are for business customers.

Not sure what you're running?

Send us the app and where it runs. We'll tell you which job you need, if any, and what it costs. Running PHP too? The PHP security service works the same way.