CVE-2026-44494: axios Prototype Pollution

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.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.7

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0104

Probability of exploitation

0.60%

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-441 CWE-441

CWE-1321 CWE-1321

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
axios	axios	1.0.0 — 1.16.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-35jp-ww65-95wh https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-35jp-ww65-95wh

Exploits

https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-35jp-ww65-95wh https://github.com/axios/axios/security/advisories/GHSA-35jp-ww65-95wh

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. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.7 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-44494? +

CVE-2026-44494 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.7 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0104, placing it in the 1th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-44494? +

CVE-2026-44494 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-2026-44494? +

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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