Axios <1.15.0 Prototype Pollution RCE via Gadget Attack
CVE-2026-40175 Published on April 10, 2026
Axios has Unrestricted Cloud Metadata Exfiltration via Header Injection Chain
Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. Prior to 1.15.0 and 0.3.1, the Axios library is vulnerable to a specific "Gadget" attack chain that allows Prototype Pollution in any third-party dependency to be escalated into Remote Code Execution (RCE) or Full Cloud Compromise (via AWS IMDSv2 bypass). This vulnerability is fixed in 1.15.0 and 0.3.1.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-40175 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is consided to have a high level of attack complexity. An automatable proof of concept (POC) exploit exists. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a small impact on confidentiality and integrity, and no impact on availability.
Weakness Types
What is a HTTP Response Splitting Vulnerability?
The software receives data from an upstream component, but does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes CR and LF characters before the data is included in outgoing HTTP headers.
CVE-2026-40175 has been classified to as a HTTP Response Splitting vulnerability or weakness.
What is a HTTP Request Smuggling Vulnerability?
When malformed or abnormal HTTP requests are interpreted by one or more entities in the data flow between the user and the web server, such as a proxy or firewall, they can be interpreted inconsistently, allowing the attacker to "smuggle" a request to one device without the other device being aware of it.
CVE-2026-40175 has been classified to as a HTTP Request Smuggling vulnerability or weakness.
What is a SSRF Vulnerability?
The web server receives a URL or similar request from an upstream component and retrieves the contents of this URL, but it does not sufficiently ensure that the request is being sent to the expected destination. By providing URLs to unexpected hosts or ports, attackers can make it appear that the server is sending the request, possibly bypassing access controls such as firewalls that prevent the attackers from accessing the URLs directly. The server can be used as a proxy to conduct port scanning of hosts in internal networks, use other URLs such as that can access documents on the system (using file://), or use other protocols such as gopher:// or tftp://, which may provide greater control over the contents of requests.
CVE-2026-40175 has been classified to as a SSRF vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-40175
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Affected Versions
axios:- Version >= 1.0.0, < 1.15.0 is affected.
- Version < 0.31.0 is affected.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.