`net.Socket({ fd })` can abort the Node.js process when iterating invalid file descriptors
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Description
Version
24.13.1
Platform
Linux KContainer 6.12.86+deb13-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.12.86-1 (2026-05-08) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Subsystem
net
What steps will reproduce the bug?
Hi,
I found a case where creating net.Socket instances with arbitrary file descriptors can abort the entire Node.js process.
const net = require('net');
let fd = 3;
while (fd < 1000) {
try {
const stream = new net.Socket({
fd: fd,
readable: false,
writable: true
});
stream.on('error', function () {});
stream.write('might crash');
} catch (e) {
// ignore and continue to next fd
console.log('caught')
}
fd += 1;
}
How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?
Reproduces consistently on my system.
What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?
Invalid or unsupported file descriptors passed to net.Socket({ fd }) should result in ordinary JS exceptions or socket errors, not process abort.
What do you see instead?
Some file descriptors are handled normally and throw JS exceptions that are caught successfully, but eventually Node aborts the process:
root@KContainer:~/git/run/cerebras/node/OPENAI/gpt5.1/filter/batch_3/cross_runtime/temp_deno/3604# node repro.cjs caught caught caught caught
caught
caught
....
caught
caught
caught
caught
caught
caught
caught
caught
Aborted
The abort bypasses JS exception handling entirely.
Additional information
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with the provided JavaScript reproduction and the net.Socket({ fd }) path on Linux, focusing on how invalid descriptors are handled before stream.write(). Confirm the abort is reproducible, then verify that invalid or unsupported descriptors produce catchable JavaScript exceptions or socket errors without terminating the process.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- javascript, node.js
- Domain
- networking
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100