CVE-2026-35209CWE-1321

defu: Prototype pollution via `__proto__` key in defaults argument

High · published April 6, 2026

CVSS v3.1
7.5
EPSS
1%
Percentile
43.3
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

defu is software that allows uers to assign default properties recursively. Prior to version 6.1.5, applications that pass unsanitized user input (e.g. parsed JSON request bodies, database records, or config files from untrusted sources) as the first argument to `defu()` are vulnerable to prototype pollution. A crafted payload containing a `__proto__` key can override intended default values in the merged resul. The internal `_defu` function used `Object.assign({}, defaults)` to copy the defaults object. `Object.assign` invokes the `__proto__` setter, which replaces the resulting object's `[[Prototype]]` with attacker-controlled values. Properties inherited from the polluted prototype then bypass the existing `__proto__` key guard in the `for...in` loop and land in the final result. Version 6.1.5 replaces `Object.assign({}, defaults)` with object spread (`{ ...defaults }`), which uses `[[DefineOwnProperty]]` and does not invoke the `__proto__` setter.

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.5 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00519 · 43.3th percentile
Weakness
CWE-1321 · Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Published
2026-04-06T17:26Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 06 APR 17:26Z
    defu: Prototype pollution via `__proto__` key in defaults argument
    cvelistv5