CVE-2023-26121
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAll versions of the package safe-eval are vulnerable to Prototype Pollution via the safeEval function, due to improper sanitization of its parameter content.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThe safe-eval package contains a Prototype Pollution vulnerability in its safeEval function due to improper sanitization of input parameters. An attacker can manipulate object prototypes by injecting malicious properties through unsanitized input, potentially leading to code execution or application disruption.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 0.4.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed safe-eval package versionRun 'npm list safe-eval' in your project directory to see the installed version, or inspect package.json dependenciesAffected if The version is 0.4.1 or lower
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Verify safeEval is being called in your codebaseSearch your codebase for occurrences of 'safeEval(' or 'safe-eval' import statements to identify where the function is usedAffected if Your code imports or calls the safeEval function from the safe-eval package
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Inspect input sources to safeEval callsTrace the arguments passed to safeEval calls and identify whether any originate from user input (HTTP requests, CLI arguments, environment variables, or external APIs)Affected if User-controllable data flows into safeEval without sanitization
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Review existing input sanitizationExamine the code immediately before safeEval calls to see if any validation, sanitization, or filtering is performed on the input argumentsAffected if No sanitization is applied, or sanitization does not specifically block prototype pollution patterns (__proto__, constructor, prototype)
You are affected if you have safe-eval version 0.4.1 or lower and your code passes unsanitized user input to the safeEval function.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedReplace safe-eval with a properly sandboxed alternative (such as vm2, isolated-vm, or native vm module with strict controls), or upgrade if a patched version becomes available. Audit all code paths using safeEval to identify exploitation vectors.
Replace with an actively maintained alternative (safe-eval appears unmaintained with no fixed version available)
- 1. Audit your codebase to identify all usages of the safe-eval package
- 2. Search for an actively maintained alternative to safe-eval that provides similar functionality (e.g., vm2 with proper configuration, or native Node.js vm module with restrictions)
- 3. Replace all safe-eval calls with the chosen alternative implementation
- 4. Test the application thoroughly to ensure functionality is preserved
- 5. Remove safe-eval from package.json and install the replacement package
- 6. Run security scans to confirm the vulnerability is no longer present
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,040.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-26121 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-26121 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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