Authentication bypass via inherited validateStatus function
Published Apr 24, 2026 · Updated Aug 26, 2026
Prototype pollution in Axios before 0.31.1 and 1.0.0 through 1.15.0 allows attackers to bypass HTTP error handling. The mergeDirectKeys strategy tests validateStatus with the in operator, inherits a polluted Object.prototype function, and causes settle to resolve 401, 403, and 500 responses as successes. Exploitation requires prototype pollution elsewhere in the process; affected applications can accept unauthorized or erroneous responses as valid.
Summary
What happened
Prototype pollution in Axios before 0.31.1 and 1.0.0 through 1.15.0 allows attackers to bypass HTTP error handling. The mergeDirectKeys strategy tests validateStatus with the in operator, inherits a polluted Object.prototype function, and causes settle to resolve 401, 403, and 500 responses as successes. Exploitation requires prototype pollution elsewhere in the process; affected applications can accept unauthorized or erroneous responses as valid.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-42041
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 26, 2026
- Vendor
- 389 Directory Server
- Product
- Red Hat Quay
- Classifications
- CWE-915, CWE-1321, CWE-287
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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
- Axios validateStatus prototype-pollution proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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