Impact
The _.merge(target, source) utility exported by @feathersjs/commons recursively merges source into target by iterating Object.keys(source). When source was produced by JSON.parse and contains a __proto__ (or constructor / prototype) key, that key is returned as an own-enumerable property. The recursive merge then resolves target['__proto__'] to Object.prototype and writes the attacker-supplied properties onto it, polluting the prototype for all plain objects in the process for the lifetime of the Node process.
Scope of real-world risk is limited. No first-party Feathers package routes input — trusted or untrusted — through commons._.merge. The @feathersjs/authentication package, which does merge request-influenced data, uses lodash/merge (prototype-pollution-safe since 4.17.12), not this utility. Exploitation therefore requires a downstream plugin or application to pass JSON-parsed, attacker-controlled input directly through the exported _.merge.
Patches
Fixed in @feathersjs/commons@5.0.45. The fix skips __proto__, constructor, and prototype keys during iteration — the standard remediation used by lodash and others.
Workarounds
Avoid passing JSON-parsed untrusted input through commons._.merge. Freezing Object.prototype or validating/sanitizing keys upstream also mitigates.
Credit
Reported responsibly by Andrew Ridings (@ridingsa).
References
ridingsa Finder
Impact
The
_.merge(target, source)utility exported by@feathersjs/commonsrecursively mergessourceintotargetby iteratingObject.keys(source). Whensourcewas produced byJSON.parseand contains a__proto__(orconstructor/prototype) key, that key is returned as an own-enumerable property. The recursive merge then resolvestarget['__proto__']toObject.prototypeand writes the attacker-supplied properties onto it, polluting the prototype for all plain objects in the process for the lifetime of the Node process.Scope of real-world risk is limited. No first-party Feathers package routes input — trusted or untrusted — through
commons._.merge. The@feathersjs/authenticationpackage, which does merge request-influenced data, useslodash/merge(prototype-pollution-safe since 4.17.12), not this utility. Exploitation therefore requires a downstream plugin or application to pass JSON-parsed, attacker-controlled input directly through the exported_.merge.Patches
Fixed in
@feathersjs/commons@5.0.45. The fix skips__proto__,constructor, andprototypekeys during iteration — the standard remediation used by lodash and others.Workarounds
Avoid passing JSON-parsed untrusted input through
commons._.merge. FreezingObject.prototypeor validating/sanitizing keys upstream also mitigates.Credit
Reported responsibly by Andrew Ridings (@ridingsa).
References