node-re2 provides RE2 regular expression bindings for Node.js. Prior to version 1.25.1, the WrappedRE2::Replace function built its replacement result and passed it to V8 using ToLocalChecked without checking for the empty MaybeLocal that V8 returns when the resulting string or buffer exceeds V8's maximum string length. When a global replace uses an output amplifying replacement template, the result can grow quadratically with the input size, and once the result exceeds V8's maximum string length, the unchecked ToLocalChecked call causes a fatal, uncatchable process abort instead of a catchable exception. This issue is fixed in version 1.25.1.

Affected: npm: re2

## Description

`WrappedRE2::Replace` builds the replacement result and hands it to V8 with `.ToLocalChecked()` **without checking for the empty `MaybeLocal`** that V8 returns when the string/buffer exceeds its maximum length:

`lib/replace.cc` (v1.24.1): ```cpp // L553 — Buffer return path info.GetReturnValue().Set(Nan::CopyBuffer(result.data(), result.size()).ToLocalChecked()); // L556 — String return path info.GetReturnValue().Set(Nan::New(result).ToLocalChecked()); ```

When a global replace uses an output-amplifying template — `$'` (text after the match) or `` $` `` (text before the match) — the result grows to **O(input²)**. For an input of ~40,000+ identical single-char matches the result exceeds V8's `String::kMaxLength` (~536,870,888 chars on 64-bit). `Nan::New(result)` then returns an **empty `MaybeLocal`**, and the unchecked `.ToLocalChecked()` calls `v8::Utils::ReportApiFailure` → **`FATAL ERROR: v8::ToLocalChecked Empty MaybeLocal`** → `abort()` (SIGABRT).

This is an **uncatchable** crash: it is not a JavaScript exception, so a surrounding `try/catch` cannot stop it — the entire Node process (or worker) dies.

**The built-in regex engine handles the identical case correctly** by throwing a *catchable* `RangeError: Invalid string length`. node-re2 diverges from that contract and aborts instead.

## Proof of concept

``` npm i re2 node poc.js ```

```js const RE2 = require('re2');

// Built-in engine: same case -> CATCHABLE RangeError (correct) try { 'a'.repeat(5…

Affected: Ubuntu:20.04:LTS: node-re2, Ubuntu:22.04:LTS: node-re2, Ubuntu:24.04:LTS: node-re2, Ubuntu:26.04:LTS: node-re2

node-re2 provides RE2 regular expression bindings for Node.js. Prior to version 1.25.1, the WrappedRE2::Replace function built its replacement result and passed it to V8 using ToLocalChecked without checking for the empty MaybeLocal that V8 returns when the resulting string or buffer exceeds V8's maximum string length. When a global replace uses an output amplifying replacement template, the result can grow quadratically with the input size, and once the result exceeds V8's maximum string length, the unchecked ToLocalChecked call causes a fatal, uncatchable process abort instead of a catchable exception. This issue is fixed in version 1.25.1.