CVE-2026-86818

MEDIUM
Published Sep 15, 2026 Modified Sep 16, 2026 CWE-172 CWE-436

Description

fast-uri is a dependency-free RFC 3986 URI parser for Node.js, used by Fastify and ajv, that added a mailto scheme parser in version 4.1.3. In versions 4.1.3 and 4.1.4, the mailto parser compares each query field name to the reserved names to, subject, and body while the name is still percent-encoded, and decodes it only when storing it as a generic header, so a percent-encoded spelling of a reserved field name is not recognized as that field at parse time but is re-emitted as the literal field name when the parsed URI is serialized. An application that validates, logs, or displays the recipient list from the first parse and then serializes the URI and sends it can silently gain an attacker-chosen recipient, and the subject and body fields can be smuggled across the same roundtrip. The issue is fixed in fast-uri 4.1.5, and users should upgrade to 4.1.5 or later. As a workaround, do not act on a mailto URI that fast-uri has re-serialized without first decoding and re-validating its recipient, subject, and body fields.

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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

0.0016
Probability of exploitation
0.06%
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-172 CWE-172
CWE-436 CWE-436

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-86818? +
fast-uri is a dependency-free RFC 3986 URI parser for Node.js, used by Fastify and ajv, that added a mailto scheme parser in version 4.1.3. In versions 4.1.3 and 4.1.4, the mailto parser compares each query field name to the reserved names to, subject, and body while the name is still percent-encoded, and decodes it only when storing it as a generic header, so a percent-encoded spelling of a reserved field name is not recognized as that field at parse time but is re-emitted as the literal field name when the parsed URI is serialized. An application that validates, logs, or displays the recipient list from the first parse and then serializes the URI and sends it can silently gain an attacker-chosen recipient, and the subject and body fields can be smuggled across the same roundtrip. The issue is fixed in fast-uri 4.1.5, and users should upgrade to 4.1.5 or later. As a workaround, do not act on a mailto URI that fast-uri has re-serialized without first decoding and re-validating its recipient, subject, and body fields. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2026-86818? +
CVE-2026-86818 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 0.0016, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-86818? +
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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