CVE-2020-7608Public exploit

Prototype pollution via unsanitized dotted argument keys

Published Mar 16, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Prototype pollution in affected yargs-parser releases allows attackers controlling parsed arguments to modify Object.prototype properties. The parser expands dotted option keys into nested objects without sanitizing proto, so assignment traverses and writes the shared object prototype. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled arguments; polluted properties can alter every ordinary object in that process.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.51%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Prototype pollution in affected yargs-parser releases allows attackers controlling parsed arguments to modify Object.prototype properties. The parser expands dotted option keys into nested objects without sanitizing proto, so assignment traverses and writes the shared object prototype. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled arguments; polluted properties can alter every ordinary object in that process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-7608
Published
Mar 16, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
yargs
Product
yargs-parser
Classifications
CWE-1321, CWE-915
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 16, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=All versions prior to version 18.1.1 and patches at 13.1.2 and 15.0.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

yargs · yargs-parserversion=All versions prior to version 18.1.1 and patches at 13.1.2 and 15.0.1

Published CVSS scores

5.3GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1321Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
CWE-915Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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