VulnerabilityPublished 24 Apr 2026Updated 14 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-42044: Node axios · From 1.0.0 to before 1.15.2, he Axios library is vulnerable to a Prototype Pollution "Gadget" attack that allows any Object.prototype pollution in

Affects node-axiosSource GCVE Database

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Authoritative record:CVE-2026-42044· Medium 6.5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium : upgrade to 1.13.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 when convenient.

Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 23:54 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

Sources agree

CVSS scores by source
CNA (GitHub_M)	CVSS 3.1	6.5
ADP (redhat-SADP)	CVSS 3.1	7.4

EPSS: 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 50% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 1.13.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Apr 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 13 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade the Ubuntu node-axios package to 1.13.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1.

Patches and advisories

ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8638-1 (opens in a new tab)

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Ubuntu Pro 26.04 LTSnode-axios`pkg:deb/ubuntu/node-axios?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/resolute`Other threats	Affected <1.13.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1	Fixed in 1.13.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1
Ubuntu 25.10node-axios`pkg:deb/ubuntu/node-axios?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected =1.7.9+dfsg-1 =1.8.4+dfsg-1 =1.11.0+dfsg-1	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A fix is available in Axios version 1.15.2. Users should upgrade to version 1.15.2 or later to remediate this vulnerability. For Ubuntu users, security updates are available via Ubuntu Pro Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) for supported LTS releases. Applying the official patches or updates from the vendor is the recommended remediation.

Description

Axios versions from 1.0.0 up to but not including 1.15.2 are vulnerable to a prototype pollution attack that allows attackers to modify JSON API responses invisibly. This can lead to privilege escalation, balance manipulation, and authorization bypass. The vulnerability arises because the default JSON response transformation calls a parseReviver function that can be polluted via Object.prototype, enabling selective modification of response values. The issue is fixed in version 1.15.2.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows attackers to invisibly modify JSON API responses, potentially leading to privilege escalation, manipulation of sensitive data such as balances, and bypass of authorization controls. This can compromise application integrity and security without obvious signs in the response data.

Summary

Axios, a promise-based HTTP client for Node.js and browsers, versions 1.0.0 through before 1.15.2 are affected by a prototype pollution vulnerability (CVE-2026-42044). The vulnerability occurs because the default transformResponse function invokes JSON.parse with a parseReviver function that is not validated or constrained. An attacker who can pollute Object.prototype with a parseReviver function can manipulate individual key-value pairs in JSON responses, enabling stealthy modifications such as privilege escalation and authorization bypass. This vulnerability is resolved in Axios version 1.15.2.

References

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