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CVE-2020-28278

shvl vulnerable to prototype pollution

9.8 CriticalFix available

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

3.07%Up 1.4 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 9.8

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Record
CVE-2020-28278
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
7.5 HighAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Record
CVE-2020-28278
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-4811 No score

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Record
EUVD-2022-4811
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-pqwc-3vhw-qcvq 9.8

shvl vulnerable to prototype pollution

Overview

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Details

The NPM module 'shvl' can be abused by Prototype Pollution vulnerability since the function 'set()' did not check for the type of object before assigning value to the property. Due to this flaw an attacker could create a non-existent property or able to manipulate the property which leads to Denial of Service or potentially Remote code execution.

PoC Details

The 'set()' function accepts four arguments object, path, val, obj. Due to the absence of validation, at values passed into path, val arguments, an attacker can supply a malicious value by adjusting the path value to include the __proto__ property. Since there is no validation before assigning property to check whether the assigned path is the Object's own property or not, the property isAdmin will be directly be assigned to the empty obj({}) thereby polluting the Object prototype. Later in the code, if there is a check to validate isAdmin the valued would be substituted as "true" as it had been polluted.

const shvl = require('shvl');
var obj = {}
console.log("Before : " + obj.isAdmin);
shvl.set(obj, '__proto__.isAdmin', true);
console.log("After : " + obj.isAdmin);

Affected Environments

1.0.0-2.0.1

Remediation

There are a couple of ways to mitigate prototype pollution vulnerabilities, for example: Most of the cases can be solved by freezing an object which doesn’t allow to add, remove, or change its properties. Validating the JSON input with schema validation, this guarantees that the JSON input contains only predefined attributes. We can change the objects, so they won’t have any prototype association by using “Object.create”.

Record
GHSA-pqwc-3vhw-qcvq
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-1321
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 9.8

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Record
CVE-2020-28278
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-pqwc-3vhw-qcvq 9.8

shvl vulnerable to prototype pollution

Overview

Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'shvl' versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.1 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.

Details

The NPM module 'shvl' can be abused by Prototype Pollution vulnerability since the function 'set()' did not check for the type of object before assigning value to the property. Due to this flaw an attacker could create a non-existent property or able to manipulate the property which leads to Denial of Service or potentially Remote code execution.

PoC Details

The 'set()' function accepts four arguments object, path, val, obj. Due to the absence of validation, at values passed into path, val arguments, an attacker can supply a malicious value by adjusting the path value to include the __proto__ property. Since there is no validation before assigning property to check whether the assigned path is the Object's own property or not, the property isAdmin will be directly be assigned to the empty obj({}) thereby polluting the Object prototype. Later in the code, if there is a check to validate isAdmin the valued would be substituted as "true" as it had been polluted.

const shvl = require('shvl');
var obj = {}
console.log("Before : " + obj.isAdmin);
shvl.set(obj, '__proto__.isAdmin', true);
console.log("After : " + obj.isAdmin);

Affected Environments

1.0.0-2.0.1

Remediation

There are a couple of ways to mitigate prototype pollution vulnerabilities, for example: Most of the cases can be solved by freezing an object which doesn’t allow to add, remove, or change its properties. Validating the JSON input with schema validation, this guarantees that the JSON input contains only predefined attributes. We can change the objects, so they won’t have any prototype association by using “Object.create”.

Record
GHSA-pqwc-3vhw-qcvq
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-1321
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
shvl
npm
1.0.0 to 2.0.1
2.0.2
shvl
npm
1.0.0 up to 2.0.2
2.0.2

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
facts
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-28278 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Shvl Project Shvl, published December 29, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 3.07%, the 87th percentile. Fixed in shvl 2.0.2.

References

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