CVE-2026-105845: Payload SQL Injection Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-v49j-62m6-pgrr
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-89
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-105845 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) sql injection vulnerability (CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')) affecting Payload libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves sql injection in sqlite and postgres. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.88.0, 4.0.0-canary.27.

CVE-2026-105845 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-105845
GHSA Identifier GHSA-v49j-62m6-pgrr
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Affected Product Payload
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
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-2026-105845

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: 3.88.0 
npm install payload@3.88.0
payload fixed: 4.0.0-canary.27 
npm install payload@4.0.0-canary.27
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-2026-105845, 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 3.88.0), 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-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an sql command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended sql command when it is sent to a downstream component. without sufficient removal or quoting of sql syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated sql query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as sql instead of ordinary user data. 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 user can submit a request that exploits a SQL Injection vulnerability in Payload. You are affected if: - You use an affected Payload version. - Untrusted users can query readable collections using dynamic filters or joins. You are not affected if you use MongoDB (`@payloadcms/mongodb`). ### Patches Users should upgrade Payload packages to `>= 3.88.0` or `>= 4.0.0-canary.27`. ### Workarounds Upgrading to a patched version is recommended. Until you can upgrade, restrict untrusted users from supplying dynamic query filters or join parameters and limit read access to affected collections.

CVE-2026-105845 Affected Payload Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.88.04.0.0-canary.27
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
payload
npm/payload
npm
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.88.0
3.88.0
payload
npm/payload
npm
≥ 4.0.0-canary.0
< 4.0.0-canary.27
4.0.0-canary.27

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-v49j-62m6-pgrr
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/commit/a742140ab4fca3160f7f83e9e7d996552ffc3b5a
Payload Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload
Payload Release RELEASE
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.88.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-105845?
CVE-2026-105845 is a security vulnerability in Payload involving SQL Injection in SQLite and Postgres under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection').
Which Payload versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.88.0, 4.0.0-canary.27 across affected packages: payload.
What version fixes CVE-2026-105845?
Upgrading to 3.88.0, 4.0.0-canary.27 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is payload affected?
Yes, payload is affected in releases prior to 3.88.0, 4.0.0-canary.27. Upgrade your dependency to 3.88.0, 4.0.0-canary.27 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-105845?
CVE-2026-105845 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-105845?
CVE-2026-105845 is classified under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-105845?
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-v49j-62m6-pgrr",
  "modified" : "2026-10-06T16:09:18Z",
  "published" : "2026-10-06T16:09:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-105845" ],
  "summary" : "Payload: SQL Injection in SQLite and Postgres",
  "details" : "### Impact\nA user can submit a request that exploits a SQL Injection vulnerability in Payload.\n\nYou are affected if:\n- You use an affected Payload version.\n- Untrusted users can query readable collections using dynamic filters or joins.\n\nYou are not affected if you use MongoDB (`@payloadcms/mongodb`).\n\n### Patches\nUsers should upgrade Payload packages to `>= 3.88.0` or `>= 4.0.0-canary.27`.\n\n### Workarounds\nUpgrading to a patched version is recommended. Until you can upgrade, restrict untrusted users from supplying dynamic query filters or join parameters and limit read access to affected collections.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "payload"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.88.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "payload"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0.0-canary.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.0.0-canary.27"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-v49j-62m6-pgrr"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/commit/a742140ab4fca3160f7f83e9e7d996552ffc3b5a"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.88.0"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-89" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-10-06T16:09:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}