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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2026-84368: joi: Prototype pollution via a `__proto__` language key in custom messages

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 14/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.38% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: joi (npm) 17.13.6, 18.2.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to joi (npm) 17.13.6, 18.2.5 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

joi is a schema description language and data validator for JavaScript. From 16.0.0 until 17.13.6 and 18.2.5, the @hapi/joi package through 17.1.1 and the successor joi package contain prototype pollution in lib/messages.js, where exports.compile() and exports.merge() reuse inherited objects for attacker-controlled language keys supplied through messages(), message(), prefs({ messages }), Joi.extend({ messages }), or rule({ message }). A language key named __proto__ writes properties onto Object.prototype, and constructor writes to the Object function's static properties. A consuming application that gates on the presence of an inherited property can take the wrong branch for every inspected object. The flaw is not reachable from data that joi validates and requires an application to feed untrusted input directly into schema-construction configuration. This issue is fixed in joi versions 17.13.6 and 18.2.5; no fixed @hapi/joi version is available.

LowCVSS 3.7 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Sep 1, 2026
Updated
Sep 9, 2026
EPSS
0.3% · 33th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

14

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
14 / 40 · 3.7 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.3%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · GitHub_M
3.7
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

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When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

—

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • hapijs joi

    • >= 16.0.0, <= 17.1.1, >= 17.2.0, < 17.13.6, >= 18.0.0, < 18.2.5affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
npm@hapi/joifrom 16.0.0 · up to and including 17.1.1—
npmjoifrom 17.2.0 · before 17.13.617.13.6
npmjoifrom 18.0.0 · before 18.2.518.2.5

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-92599Joi before 17.13.7 and 18.2.6 ReDoS via isoDate
    34Monitor
  • CVE-2026-118772joi: quadratic-time split in `string().email({ multiple: true })` allows denial of service
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2026-90771joi before 17.13.8 and 18.2.9 Prototype Pollution via messages
    25Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-48038Jul 14, 2026 · joi: Uncaught RangeError on deeply nested input through recursive `link()` schemas
    21Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-84367Sep 1, 2026 · joi: object().rename() with a template target can set the validated object's prototype
    14Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
npm:joi17.13.6Package registry (OSV)
npm:joi18.2.5Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-9077112 days apartjoi before 17.13.8 and 18.2.9 Prototype Pollution via messages
    25Monitor
  • CVE-2026-843670 days apartjoi: object().rename() with a template target can set the validated object's prototype
    14Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
low · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
Low
Availability impact
None

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

nvd-secondary

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

All records