CVE-2026-105858: Payload Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-97rh-rhh2-7vjv
Share
CVSS 8.1
CWE-1321 CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-105858 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Payload libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves remote code execution through first-register. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.90.0, 4.0.0-canary.34.

CVE-2026-105858 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-105858
GHSA Identifier GHSA-97rh-rhh2-7vjv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Payload
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-105858

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Payload dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

payload fixed: 3.90.0 
npm install payload@3.90.0
payload fixed: 4.0.0-canary.34 
npm install payload@4.0.0-canary.34
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls payload

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-105858, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls payload

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Payload in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.90.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls payload command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'), where the product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype. In Payload, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact A crafted request to the public first-register operation can be used to perform a RCE exploit. **You are affected if:** - You use local auth strategy and your application remains without an initial user created ## Patches In the patched version data submission to create first user is properly sanitized. Users should upgrade Payload packages to `>= 3.90.0` or `>= 4.0.0-canary.34`.

CVE-2026-105858 Affected Payload Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.90.04.0.0-canary.34
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
payload
npm/payload
npm
< 3.90.0
3.90.0
payload
npm/payload
npm
≥ 4.0.0-canary.0
< 4.0.0-canary.34
4.0.0-canary.34

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-97rh-rhh2-7vjv
NVD — CVE-2026-105858 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-105858
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/commit/e947fc4ba4a434f276d043386e501b1d14eda679
Payload Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload
Payload Release RELEASE
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.90.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-105858?
CVE-2026-105858 is a security vulnerability in Payload involving Remote Code Execution through first-register under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Payload versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.90.0, 4.0.0-canary.34 across affected packages: payload.
What version fixes CVE-2026-105858?
Upgrading to 3.90.0, 4.0.0-canary.34 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is payload affected?
Yes, payload is affected in releases prior to 3.90.0, 4.0.0-canary.34. Upgrade your dependency to 3.90.0, 4.0.0-canary.34 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-105858?
CVE-2026-105858 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-105858?
CVE-2026-105858 is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') (The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-105858?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls payload'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-97rh-rhh2-7vjv",
  "modified" : "2026-10-07T20:29:58Z",
  "published" : "2026-10-07T20:29:58Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-105858" ],
  "summary" : "Payload: Remote Code Execution through first-register",
  "details" : "### Impact\nA crafted request to the public first-register operation can be used to perform a RCE exploit.\n\n**You are affected if:**\n\n- You use local auth strategy and your application remains without an initial user created\n\n## Patches\n\nIn the patched version data submission to create first user is properly sanitized.\n\nUsers should upgrade Payload packages to `>= 3.90.0` or `>= 4.0.0-canary.34`.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "payload"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.90.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "payload"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0.0-canary.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.0.0-canary.34"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-97rh-rhh2-7vjv"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-105858"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/commit/e947fc4ba4a434f276d043386e501b1d14eda679"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.90.0"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321", "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-10-07T20:29:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-10-06T17:17:21Z"
  }
}