CVE-2023-26159Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Request redirection via bracketed hostname parsing fallback

Published Jan 2, 2024 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Improper URL validation in follow-redirects before 1.15.4 allows remote attackers to redirect requests through crafted hostnames. When the native URL constructor rejects a bracketed or otherwise malformed hostname, request() falls back to legacy url.parse(), which can reinterpret the hostname as a different destination. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass attacker-controlled URLs; the resulting outbound request can bypass host restrictions and disclose responses from unintended services.

CVSS severity6.1
Medium
EPSS probability0.80%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper URL validation in follow-redirects before 1.15.4 allows remote attackers to redirect requests through crafted hostnames. When the native URL constructor rejects a bracketed or otherwise malformed hostname, request() falls back to legacy url.parse(), which can reinterpret the hostname as a different destination. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass attacker-controlled URLs; the resulting outbound request can bypass host restrictions and disclose responses from unintended services.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-26159
Published
Jan 2, 2024
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
follow-redirects
Product
follow-redirects
Classifications
CWE-601, CWE-20
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 2, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.15.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

follow-redirects · follow-redirectsversion=0 <1.15.4

Published CVSS scores

6.1GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-601URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect')
CWE-20Improper Input Validation

Public exploit references

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

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo