CVE-2026-110910
Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.
Description
### Summary `qs.stringify` with `allowEmptyArrays: true` writes the key of an empty array without encoding it, even though keys are encoded by default. A key that contains `&` (or the configured `delimiter`), `=`, or `#` therefore becomes query string syntax instead of data, so a caller-supplied key name can add parameters to the serialized query string, or cut it short. ### Details In `lib/stringify.js`, the `allowEmptyArrays` branch returns `adjustedPrefix + '[]'` early, before the code that passes every other key through `encoder` and `formatter`. So `{ "x&k=v": ["1"] }` serializes as `x%26k%3Dv%5B0%5D=1`, but `{ "x&k=v": [] }` serializes as `x&k=v[]`. The early return applies at any depth (`{ "a": { "b&k=v": [] } }` gives `a[b&k=v][]`), under every `arrayFormat`, with `allowDots`, and with a custom `encoder`, which is never called for that key. With `encode: false` or `encodeValuesOnly: true`, keys are intentionally left unencoded on every path; those configurations are not affected. #### PoC ```js var qs = require("qs"); var query = qs.stringify({ q: "hi", "x&apiKey=evil&y": [] }, { allowEmptyArrays: true }); // "q=hi&x&apiKey=evil&y[]" qs.parse(query); // { q: "hi", x: "", apiKey: "evil", y: [""] } qs.stringify({ "x#": [], z: "1" }, { allowEmptyArrays: true }); // "x#[]&z=1": in a URL, everything after "#" becomes the fragment ``` #### Fix Applied in 234d505 on `main` and released as v6.17.0, and backported to v6.16.2, v6.15.4, v6.14.3, v6.13.4, and v6.12.6: the key of an empty array goes through `encoder` and `formatter` exactly as the key of any other value does, so `{ "x&apiKey=evil&y": [] }` now serializes as `x%26apiKey%3Devil%26y[]`. Keys that need no encoding serialize as before, with two exceptions that match every other path: the brackets of a nested key are now encoded (`a[b][]` becomes `a%5Bb%5D[]`, which `qs.parse` reads identically), and with `encodeDotInKeys`, a dot in the key becomes `%252E` instead of `%2E` (which `decodeDotInKeys` previously misread as nesting). ### Affected versions - `>=6.12.0 <6.12.6`, fixed in v6.12.6 - `>=6.13.0 <6.13.4`, fixed in v6.13.4 - `>=6.14.0 <6.14.3`, fixed in v6.14.3 - `>=6.15.0 <6.15.4`, fixed in v6.15.4 - `>=6.16.0 <6.16.2`, fixed in v6.16.2 v6.17.0 and later are not affected. `allowEmptyArrays` was introduced in f22b2bc and first shipped in v6.12.0, with this early return. Earlier versions have no `allowEmptyArrays` option and are not affected. ### Impact An application that passes an object whose key names come from untrusted input to `qs.stringify` with `allowEmptyArrays: true` (for example, to forward a parsed JSON body or user-selected fields to an upstream service) can have parameters injected into the resulting query string. The injected parameters are not keys of the object, so deleting or overwriting a key on the object (such as setting a trusted `apiKey` after copying the user's fields) does not remove them; whether the attacker's value or the application's wins depends on how the receiving side handles a duplicate parameter. A `#` in such a key ends the query string early when the result is placed in a URL. `allowEmptyArrays` is off by default, and only keys whose value (after any `filter`) is an empty array are affected.
View original CVE JSON
{
"id": "CVE-2026-110910",
"sourceIdentifier": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"published": "2026-10-27T07:16:32.263",
"lastModified": "2026-10-27T20:17:12.297",
"vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
"cveTags": [],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "### Summary\n\n\n\n`qs.stringify` with `allowEmptyArrays: true` writes the key of an empty array without encoding it, even though keys are encoded by default. A key that contains `&` (or the configured `delimiter`), `=`, or `#` therefore becomes query string syntax instead of data, so a caller-supplied key name can add parameters to the serialized query string, or cut it short.\n\n\n\n### Details\n\n\n\nIn `lib/stringify.js`, the `allowEmptyArrays` branch returns `adjustedPrefix + '[]'` early, before the code that passes every other key through `encoder` and `formatter`. So `{ \"x&k=v\": [\"1\"] }` serializes as `x%26k%3Dv%5B0%5D=1`, but `{ \"x&k=v\": [] }` serializes as `x&k=v[]`. The early return applies at any depth (`{ \"a\": { \"b&k=v\": [] } }` gives `a[b&k=v][]`), under every `arrayFormat`, with `allowDots`, and with a custom `encoder`, which is never called for that key. With `encode: false` or `encodeValuesOnly: true`, keys are intentionally left unencoded on every path; those configurations are not affected.\n\n\n\n#### PoC\n\n\n\n```js\n\n\n\nvar qs = require(\"qs\");\n\n\n\nvar query = qs.stringify({ q: \"hi\", \"x&apiKey=evil&y\": [] }, { allowEmptyArrays: true });\n\n\n\n// \"q=hi&x&apiKey=evil&y[]\"\n\n\n\nqs.parse(query);\n\n\n\n// { q: \"hi\", x: \"\", apiKey: \"evil\", y: [\"\"] }\n\n\n\nqs.stringify({ \"x#\": [], z: \"1\" }, { allowEmptyArrays: true });\n\n\n\n// \"x#[]&z=1\": in a URL, everything after \"#\" becomes the fragment\n\n\n\n```\n\n\n\n#### Fix\n\n\n\nApplied in 234d505 on `main` and released as v6.17.0, and backported to v6.16.2, v6.15.4, v6.14.3, v6.13.4, and v6.12.6: the key of an empty array goes through `encoder` and `formatter` exactly as the key of any other value does, so `{ \"x&apiKey=evil&y\": [] }` now serializes as `x%26apiKey%3Devil%26y[]`. Keys that need no encoding serialize as before, with two exceptions that match every other path: the brackets of a nested key are now encoded (`a[b][]` becomes `a%5Bb%5D[]`, which `qs.parse` reads identically), and with `encodeDotInKeys`, a dot in the key becomes `%252E` instead of `%2E` (which `decodeDotInKeys` previously misread as nesting).\n\n\n\n### Affected versions\n\n\n\n- `>=6.12.0 <6.12.6`, fixed in v6.12.6\n\n\n\n- `>=6.13.0 <6.13.4`, fixed in v6.13.4\n\n\n\n- `>=6.14.0 <6.14.3`, fixed in v6.14.3\n\n\n\n- `>=6.15.0 <6.15.4`, fixed in v6.15.4\n\n\n\n- `>=6.16.0 <6.16.2`, fixed in v6.16.2\n\n\n\nv6.17.0 and later are not affected.\n\n\n\n`allowEmptyArrays` was introduced in f22b2bc and first shipped in v6.12.0, with this early return. Earlier versions have no `allowEmptyArrays` option and are not affected.\n\n\n\n### Impact\n\n\n\nAn application that passes an object whose key names come from untrusted input to `qs.stringify` with `allowEmptyArrays: true` (for example, to forward a parsed JSON body or user-selected fields to an upstream service) can have parameters injected into the resulting query string. The injected parameters are not keys of the object, so deleting or overwriting a key on the object (such as setting a trusted `apiKey` after copying the user's fields) does not remove them; whether the attacker's value or the application's wins depends on how the receiving side handles a duplicate parameter. A `#` in such a key ends the query string early when the result is placed in a URL. `allowEmptyArrays` is off by default, and only keys whose value (after any `filter`) is an empty array are affected."
}
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"affected": [
{
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"affectedData": [
{
"vendor": "ljharb",
"product": "qs",
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"collectionURL": "https://npmjs.com/qs",
"packageName": "qs",
"repo": "https://github.com/ljharb/qs",
"versions": [
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"versionType": "semver",
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{
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{
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{
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"vulnAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
"subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
"subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
"subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
"exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
"integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
"availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
"valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED",
"providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED"
}
}
],
"cvssMetricV31": [
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"value": "CWE-116"
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"references": [
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"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158"
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