CVE-2026-42044

CVE-2026-42044 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Axios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-915.

Key facts

Description

Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. 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 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 vulnerability is fixed in 1.15.2.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-42044?
Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. 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 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 vulnerability is fixed in 1.15.2.
How severe is CVE-2026-42044?
CVE-2026-42044 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, 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 high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-42044 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (44th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-42044?
CVE-2026-42044 affects Axios. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42044?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2026-42044 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-42044 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-25609.
When was CVE-2026-42044 published?
CVE-2026-42044 was published on 2026-04-24 and last updated on 2026-07-07.

References

Affected products (1)

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE: