CVE-2026-42041

Description

Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. Prior to 1.15.1 and 0.31.1, the Axios library is vulnerable to a Prototype Pollution "Gadget" attack that allows any Object.prototype pollution to silently suppress all HTTP error responses (401, 403, 500, etc.), causing them to be treated as successful responses. This completely bypasses application-level authentication and error handling. The root cause is that validateStatus is the only config property using the mergeDirectKeys merge strategy, which uses JavaScript's in operator — an operator that inherently traverses the prototype chain. When Object.prototype.validateStatus is polluted with () => true, all HTTP status codes are accepted as success. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.15.1 and 0.31.1.

CVSS v3.1 Score

4.8

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0014

Probability of exploitation

0.33%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-287 Improper Authentication

CWE-1321 CWE-1321

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
axios	axios	< 0.31.1
axios	axios	1.0.0 — 1.15.1

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-w9j2-pvgh-6h63 https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-w9j2-pvgh-6h63

Exploits

https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-w9j2-pvgh-6h63 https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-w9j2-pvgh-6h63

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42041? +

Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. Prior to 1.15.1 and 0.31.1, the Axios library is vulnerable to a Prototype Pollution "Gadget" attack that allows any Object.prototype pollution to silently suppress all HTTP error responses (401, 403, 500, etc.), causing them to be treated as successful responses. This completely bypasses application-level authentication and error handling. The root cause is that validateStatus is the only config property using the mergeDirectKeys merge strategy, which uses JavaScript's in operator — an operator that inherently traverses the prototype chain. When Object.prototype.validateStatus is polluted with () => true, all HTTP status codes are accepted as success. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.15.1 and 0.31.1. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-42041? +

CVE-2026-42041 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.8 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0014, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-42041? +

CVE-2026-42041 affects products from axios, specifically: axios. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-42041? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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