CVE-2026-44494

CVE-2026-44494 is a high-severity vulnerability in Axios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.7. 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-441.

Key facts

Description

Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. From 1.0.0 to before 1.16.0, 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 a full Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack — intercepting, reading, and modifying all HTTP traffic including authentication credentials. The HTTP adapter at lib/adapters/http.js:670 reads config.proxy via standard property access, which traverses the prototype chain. Because proxy is not present in Axios defaults, the merged config object has no own proxy property, making it trivially injectable via prototype pollution. Once injected, setProxy() routes all HTTP requests through the attacker's proxy server. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.16.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-44494?
Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. From 1.0.0 to before 1.16.0, 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 a full Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack — intercepting, reading, and modifying all HTTP traffic including authentication credentials. The HTTP adapter at lib/adapters/http.js:670 reads config.proxy via standard property access, which traverses the prototype chain. Because proxy is not present in Axios defaults, the merged config object has no own proxy property, making it trivially injectable via prototype pollution. Once injected, setProxy() routes all HTTP requests through the attacker's proxy server. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.16.0.
How severe is CVE-2026-44494?
CVE-2026-44494 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.7, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-44494 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (59th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-44494?
CVE-2026-44494 affects Axios. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-44494?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-44494 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-44494 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-36257.
When was CVE-2026-44494 published?
CVE-2026-44494 was published on 2026-06-11 and last updated on 2026-09-11.

References

Affected products (1)

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE: