GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6

Suggest an improvement
Source
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6
Import Source
https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2025/12/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6
Aliases
Downstream
CGA (103)
MINI (9)
Withdrawn
2025-12-02T15:11:19Z
Published
2025-12-01T18:59:17Z
Modified
2026-09-10T03:50:32Z
Severity
  • 2.7 (Low) CVSS_V4 - CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U CVSS Calculator
Summary
Withdrawn Advisory: express improperly controls modification of query properties
Details

Withdrawn Advisory

This advisory has been withdrawn because it describes a correctness bug, not a vulnerability with real security impact. This link is maintained to preserve external references.

Original Description

Impact

when using the extended query parser in express ('query parser': 'extended'), the request.query object inherits all object prototype properties, but these properties can be overwritten by query string parameter keys that match the property names

[!IMPORTANT]
the extended query parser is the default in express 4; this was changed in express 5 which by default uses the simple query parser

Patches

the issue has been patched to ensure request.query is a plain object so request.query no longer has object prototype properties. this brings the default behavior of extended query parsing in line with express's default simple query parser

Workaround

this only impacts users using extended query parsing ('query parser': 'extended'), which is the default in express 4, but not express 5. all users are encouraged to upgrade to the patched versions, but can otherwise work around this issue:

provide qs directly and specify plainObjects: true

app.set('query parser',
  function (str) {
    return qs.parse(str, {
      plainObjects: true
  });
});
Database specific
{
    "cwe_ids":  [
        "CWE-915"
    ],
    "github_reviewed":  true,
    "github_reviewed_at":  "2025-12-01T18:59:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at":  "2025-12-01T21:15:49Z",
    "severity":  "LOW"
}
References

Affected packages

npm / express

Package

Affected ranges

Type
SEMVER
Events
Introduced
0 Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Fixed
4.22.0

Database specific

source
"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2025/12/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6.json"

npm / express

Package

Affected ranges

Type
SEMVER
Events
Introduced
5.0.0
Fixed
5.2.0

Database specific

source
"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2025/12/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6/GHSA-pj86-cfqh-vqx6.json"