Crashes on Node 24

[redbugz]

When upgrading to Node 24, if you console.log a VError, it crashes the process. Sample program:

const { VError } = require('verror')

const rootError = new Error('This is the root cause')
const err = new VError(rootError, 'This is a VError wrapping the previous error')

console.log('Print the VError:', err)

console.log('I finished running')

On Node 24:

❯ node errtest.js                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

node:internal/util/inspect:1183
    if (!isStackOverflowError(err)) throw err;
                                    ^

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'value')
    at formatProperty (node:internal/util/inspect:2280:12)
    at formatRaw (node:internal/util/inspect:1176:9)
    at formatValue (node:internal/util/inspect:932:10)
    at inspect (node:internal/util/inspect:409:10)
    at formatWithOptionsInternal (node:internal/util/inspect:2645:40)
    at formatWithOptions (node:internal/util/inspect:2507:10)
    at console.value (node:internal/console/constructor:360:14)
    at console.log (node:internal/console/constructor:416:61)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/test/errtest.js:6:9)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1761:14)

Node.js v24.12.0

On Node 22:

❯ node errtest.js                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Print the VError: VError: This is a VError wrapping the previous error: This is the root cause
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/test/errtest.js:4:13)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1730:14)
    at Object..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1895:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1465:32)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1282:12)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:235:24)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:171:5)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49 {
  jse_shortmsg: 'This is a VError wrapping the previous error',
  jse_cause: Error: This is the root cause
      at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/test/errtest.js:3:19)
      at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1730:14)
      at Object..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1895:10)
      at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1465:32)
      at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1282:12)
      at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
      at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:235:24)
      at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:171:5)
      at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49,
  jse_info: {},
  cause: [Function: ve_cause]
}
I finished running

[travispaul]

Thank you for reporting this issue. This looks to be caused by the new Error cause feature of ES2022 that was introduced in Node v24. I've got a branch that appears to resolve your reproducer (thank you for providing one!) but I'm not confident it is the best solution yet and want to test on some older versions of node still.

[gotenxds]

@travispaul Any news on this? anyway we can release this patch even for a while? as it seems your wrapped it in an if only for version 24 and up it would not break older versions

[mk-pmb]

Nevermind: Upgrading to node.js v24.15.0 fixed it for me. It seems they fixed the console implementation, so no patch is required in verror.