CVE-2026-42041

CVE-2026-42041 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Axios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

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.

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.
How severe is CVE-2026-42041?
CVE-2026-42041 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-42041 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (47th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-42041?
CVE-2026-42041 affects Axios. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42041?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2026-42041 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-42041 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-25606.
When was CVE-2026-42041 published?
CVE-2026-42041 was published on 2026-04-24 and last updated on 2026-08-19.

References

Affected products (1)

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE: