axios: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes
CVE-2026-42264 is a critical-severity improperly controlled modification of object prototype attributes vulnerability in axios, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected axios versions: >= 1.0.0, < 1.15.2. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.8% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 57% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of axios you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axios | axios | >= 1.0.0, < 1.15.2 | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat AMQ Broker 7.13.6 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat AMQ Broker 7.14.1 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Data Grid 8.6.2 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.9 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes 4.10 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes 4.11 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Migration Toolkit 1.8 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Migration Toolkit for Applications 8.1 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift AI 3.4 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces 3.30 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.0 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.1 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.2 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.3 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Cryostat 4 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Gatekeeper 3 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Migration Toolkit for Applications 8 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Network Observability Operator | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | OpenShift Pipelines | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | OpenShift Service Mesh 2 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | OpenShift Service Mesh 3 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat 3scale API Management Platform 2 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 23 further products are omitted here. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.4 | High | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.1 | Critical | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.4 | High | CNA |
Official description
Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. From version 1.0.0 to before version 1.15.2, fFive config properties (auth, baseURL, socketPath, beforeRedirect, and insecureHTTPParser) in the HTTP adapter are read via direct property access without hasOwnProperty guards, making them exploitable as prototype pollution gadgets. When Object.prototype is polluted by another dependency in the same process, axios silently picks up these polluted values on every outbound HTTP request. This issue has been patched in version 1.15.2.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes
The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- By freezing the object prototype first (for example, Object.freeze(Object.prototype)), modification of the prototype becomes impossible.
- By blocking modifications of attributes that resolve to object prototype, such as proto or prototype, this weakness can be mitigated.
- When handling untrusted objects, validating using a schema can be used.
More Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes vulnerabilities (CWE-1321)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-q8qp-cvcw-x6jjExploit, Mitigation
Patches and release notes
Other references
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:20889
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:20938
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33173
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36207
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37287
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37288
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37297
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:41928
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:41951
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:42142
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:50300
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60520
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62260
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66488
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66545
Other vulnerabilities in axios
- 8.3 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.6 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
Recent Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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