FKIE_CVE-2026-110816
Vulnerability from fkie_nvd - Published: 2026-10-14 22:17 - Updated: 2026-10-14 22:17
Severity
Summary
### Summary
`qs.stringify` with `arrayFormat: 'comma'` throws `TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value` when an array element cannot be coerced to a string, such as an object with an own non-callable `toString` (`{ "toString": "x" }`) or a null-prototype object. The comma format joins array elements with `Array.prototype.join` and, under `encodeValuesOnly`, first passes each element through `String()` in `utils.encode`; neither guards against an element whose string coercion fails.
### Details
In `lib/stringify.js`, the comma branch collapses the array with `obj.join(',')`. For an element whose own `toString` is not callable, `ToPrimitive` skips it, falls through to `Object.prototype.valueOf` (which returns the object itself), and throws. Under `encodeValuesOnly: true`, the same element first reaches `String(str)` in `utils.encode` (`lib/utils.js`) and throws there. Nested arrays (`{ "a": [[{ "toString": "x" }]] }`) throw the same way, through `Array.prototype.toString`. The `indices`, `brackets`, and `repeat` formats walk into object elements instead of coercing them, and are not affected.
Such elements can come from untrusted input. `JSON.parse` produces `{ "a": [{ "toString": "x" }] }` with no qs option involved. `qs.parse("a[0][toString]=x", { allowPrototypes: true })` keeps the `toString` key, and `qs.parse("a[][b]=c", { plainObjects: true })` produces a null-prototype element; the default parse options drop `toString` and produce ordinary objects, which do not throw. Express 4's default `query parser`, Express 5's `extended` query parser, and body-parser's `urlencoded({ extended: true })` all call `qs.parse` with `allowPrototypes: true`.
#### PoC
```js
var qs = require("qs");
qs.stringify(JSON.parse("{\"a\":[{\"toString\":\"x\"}]}"), { arrayFormat: "comma" });
qs.stringify(qs.parse("a[0][toString]=x", { allowPrototypes: true }), { arrayFormat: "comma" });
qs.stringify(qs.parse("a[][b]=c", { plainObjects: true }), { arrayFormat: "comma", encodeValuesOnly: true });
// TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value
```
#### Fix
Applied in a952e75 on `main` and released as v6.16.1: an element whose string coercion would fail is coerced to its primitive `valueOf`, if any, or else to `Object.prototype.toString`, so it renders as `[object Object]`, the same as any other object element already does under the comma format. Nested arrays are walked the way `join` walks them. Every input that did not previously throw serializes exactly as before, and a `toString` or `valueOf` that itself throws still propagates.
### Affected versions
`>=6.7.0 <6.16.1`, fixed in v6.16.1.
The `join` path was introduced with the comma format in b84acba and first shipped in v6.7.0; v6.6.x and earlier ignore `arrayFormat: 'comma'` and are not affected. The `encodeValuesOnly` `String()` site was introduced in 4c4b23d (v6.11.1); before that, the same input throws at `join`. Every release from v6.7.0 through v6.16.0 is affected.
### Impact
An unauthenticated request can make any code path that re-serializes attacker-influenced data with `qs.stringify` and `arrayFormat: 'comma'` (for example, rebuilding a query string from `req.query` for a redirect or an upstream request, or serializing a parsed JSON body) throw synchronously. In a typical Node.js HTTP framework the throw is caught by the framework error boundary and the affected request returns a 500; the process survives and other requests are unaffected. Where the call runs outside an error boundary, such as an `async` Express 4 handler (where the throw becomes an unhandled promise rejection) or a bare `http` request handler, the process exits, so the impact in that case depends on the application error handling rather than on qs. The default `arrayFormat` (`indices`) is not affected.
References
Impacted products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|
{
"affected": [
{
"affectedData": [
{
"collectionURL": "https://npmjs.com/qs",
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"packageName": "qs",
"product": "qs",
"repo": "https://github.com/ljharb/qs",
"vendor": "ljharb",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "6.16.1",
"status": "affected",
"version": "6.7.0",
"versionType": "semver"
}
]
}
],
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158"
}
],
"cveTags": [],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "### Summary\n\n\n\n`qs.stringify` with `arrayFormat: \u0027comma\u0027` throws `TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value` when an array element cannot be coerced to a string, such as an object with an own non-callable `toString` (`{ \"toString\": \"x\" }`) or a null-prototype object. The comma format joins array elements with `Array.prototype.join` and, under `encodeValuesOnly`, first passes each element through `String()` in `utils.encode`; neither guards against an element whose string coercion fails.\n\n\n\n### Details\n\n\n\nIn `lib/stringify.js`, the comma branch collapses the array with `obj.join(\u0027,\u0027)`. For an element whose own `toString` is not callable, `ToPrimitive` skips it, falls through to `Object.prototype.valueOf` (which returns the object itself), and throws. Under `encodeValuesOnly: true`, the same element first reaches `String(str)` in `utils.encode` (`lib/utils.js`) and throws there. Nested arrays (`{ \"a\": [[{ \"toString\": \"x\" }]] }`) throw the same way, through `Array.prototype.toString`. The `indices`, `brackets`, and `repeat` formats walk into object elements instead of coercing them, and are not affected.\n\n\n\nSuch elements can come from untrusted input. `JSON.parse` produces `{ \"a\": [{ \"toString\": \"x\" }] }` with no qs option involved. `qs.parse(\"a[0][toString]=x\", { allowPrototypes: true })` keeps the `toString` key, and `qs.parse(\"a[][b]=c\", { plainObjects: true })` produces a null-prototype element; the default parse options drop `toString` and produce ordinary objects, which do not throw. Express 4\u0027s default `query parser`, Express 5\u0027s `extended` query parser, and body-parser\u0027s `urlencoded({ extended: true })` all call `qs.parse` with `allowPrototypes: true`.\n\n\n\n#### PoC\n\n\n\n```js\n\n\n\nvar qs = require(\"qs\");\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(JSON.parse(\"{\\\"a\\\":[{\\\"toString\\\":\\\"x\\\"}]}\"), { arrayFormat: \"comma\" });\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(qs.parse(\"a[0][toString]=x\", { allowPrototypes: true }), { arrayFormat: \"comma\" });\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(qs.parse(\"a[][b]=c\", { plainObjects: true }), { arrayFormat: \"comma\", encodeValuesOnly: true });\n\n\n\n// TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value\n\n\n\n```\n\n\n\n#### Fix\n\n\n\nApplied in a952e75 on `main` and released as v6.16.1: an element whose string coercion would fail is coerced to its primitive `valueOf`, if any, or else to `Object.prototype.toString`, so it renders as `[object Object]`, the same as any other object element already does under the comma format. Nested arrays are walked the way `join` walks them. Every input that did not previously throw serializes exactly as before, and a `toString` or `valueOf` that itself throws still propagates.\n\n\n\n### Affected versions\n\n\n\n`\u003e=6.7.0 \u003c6.16.1`, fixed in v6.16.1.\n\n\n\nThe `join` path was introduced with the comma format in b84acba and first shipped in v6.7.0; v6.6.x and earlier ignore `arrayFormat: \u0027comma\u0027` and are not affected. The `encodeValuesOnly` `String()` site was introduced in 4c4b23d (v6.11.1); before that, the same input throws at `join`. Every release from v6.7.0 through v6.16.0 is affected.\n\n\n\n### Impact\n\n\n\nAn unauthenticated request can make any code path that re-serializes attacker-influenced data with `qs.stringify` and `arrayFormat: \u0027comma\u0027` (for example, rebuilding a query string from `req.query` for a redirect or an upstream request, or serializing a parsed JSON body) throw synchronously. In a typical Node.js HTTP framework the throw is caught by the framework error boundary and the affected request returns a 500; the process survives and other requests are unaffected. Where the call runs outside an error boundary, such as an `async` Express 4 handler (where the throw becomes an unhandled promise rejection) or a bare `http` request handler, the process exits, so the impact in that case depends on the application error handling rather than on qs. The default `arrayFormat` (`indices`) is not affected."
}
],
"id": "CVE-2026-110816",
"lastModified": "2026-10-14T22:17:23.230",
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"cvssData": {
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackVector": "NETWORK",
"availabilityImpact": "LOW",
"baseScore": 5.3,
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L",
"version": "3.1"
},
"exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
"impactScore": 1.4,
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"type": "Secondary"
}
],
"cvssMetricV40": [
{
"cvssData": {
"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackRequirements": "PRESENT",
"attackVector": "NETWORK",
"availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
"baseScore": 6.3,
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
"exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
"subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
"subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
"subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"version": "4.0",
"vulnAvailabilityImpact": "LOW",
"vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
"vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
"vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
},
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"type": "Secondary"
}
]
},
"published": "2026-10-14T22:17:23.230",
"references": [
{
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"url": "https://github.com/ljharb/qs/commit/a952e7519338ef0cfb25694a2988848f93333727"
},
{
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"url": "https://github.com/ljharb/qs/security/advisories/GHSA-6pq8-jhm2-2vcw"
}
],
"sourceIdentifier": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"vulnStatus": "Received",
"weaknesses": [
{
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-248"
},
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-704"
}
],
"source": "7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158",
"type": "Secondary"
}
]
}
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