Process hang via unchecked __proto__ query keys
Published Nov 26, 2022 · Updated Apr 29, 2025
Prototype pollution in affected qs releases before 6.10.3 allows remote attackers to hang Node.js processes via crafted query strings. The parseObject routine assigned recursively parsed values to attacker-controlled property names without excluding proto, creating array-like objects with attacker-set length values. In typical Express configurations, an unauthenticated query can reach the parser, and later string or array operations on the resulting object hang the Node.js process.
Summary
What happened
Prototype pollution in affected qs releases before 6.10.3 allows remote attackers to hang Node.js processes via crafted query strings. The parseObject routine assigned recursively parsed values to attacker-controlled property names without excluding proto, creating array-like objects with attacker-set length values. In typical Express configurations, an unauthenticated query can reach the parser, and later string or array operations on the resulting object hang the Node.js process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-24999
- Published
- Nov 26, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 29, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-1321, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 26, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 29, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
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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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- CVE-2022-24999 qs and Express proof-of-concept samplesproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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