Vulnerabilities in pkg:npm/@payloadcms/graphql

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-34751 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.1) pre-authentication account takeover vulnerability (CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password) affecting Payload libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves pre-authentication account takeover via parameter injection in password recovery. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.79.1.

3 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:npm/@payloadcms/graphql

3 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:npm/@payloadcms/graphql. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf CVE-2026-34751 CRITICAL Payload: Pre-Authentication Account Takeover via Parameter Injection in Password Recovery
GHSA-26rv-h2hf-3fw4 CVE-2025-4644 MODERATE Payload's SQLite adapter Session Fixation vulnerability
GHSA-5v66-m237-hwf7 CVE-2025-4643 MODERATE Payload does not invalidate JWTs after log out

CVE-2026-34751 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-34751
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.1
CWE Classification CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password
Affected Product Payload
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.1

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:N).

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 None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-34751

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: 3.79.1 
npm install payload@3.79.1
@payloadcms/graphql fixed: 3.79.1 
npm install @payloadcms/graphql@3.79.1
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-2026-34751, 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 3.79.1), 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-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password, where the product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak. 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 vulnerability in the password recovery flow could allow an unauthenticated attacker to perform actions on behalf of a user who initiates a password reset. Users are affected if: - They are using Payload version **< v3.79.1** with any auth-enabled collection using the built-in `forgot-password` functionality. ### Patches Input validation and URL construction in the password recovery flow have been hardened. Users should upgrade to **v3.79.1** or later. ### Workarounds There are no complete workarounds. Upgrading to **v3.79.1** is recommended.

CVE-2026-34751 Affected Payload Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.79.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
payload
npm/payload
npm
< 3.79.1
3.79.1
@payloadcms/graphql
npm/@payloadcms/graphql
npm
< 3.79.1
3.79.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf
NVD — CVE-2026-34751 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34751
Payload Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload
Payload Release RELEASE
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.79.1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-34751?
CVE-2026-34751 is a security vulnerability in Payload involving Pre-Authentication Account Takeover via Parameter Injection in Password Recovery under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password.
Which Payload versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.79.1 across affected packages: payload, @payloadcms/graphql.
What version fixes CVE-2026-34751?
Upgrading to 3.79.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is payload affected?
Yes, payload is affected in releases prior to 3.79.1. Upgrade your dependency to 3.79.1 or later.
Is @payloadcms/graphql affected?
Yes, @payloadcms/graphql is affected in releases prior to 3.79.1. Upgrade your dependency to 3.79.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-34751?
CVE-2026-34751 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-34751?
CVE-2026-34751 is classified under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password (The product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-34751?
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-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf",
  "modified" : "2026-04-08T18:19:10Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-01T16:08:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-34751" ],
  "summary" : "Payload: Pre-Authentication Account Takeover via Parameter Injection in Password Recovery",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nA vulnerability in the password recovery flow could allow an unauthenticated attacker to perform actions on behalf of a user who initiates a password reset.\n\nUsers are affected if:\n\n- They are using Payload version **< v3.79.1** with any auth-enabled collection using the built-in `forgot-password` functionality.\n\n### Patches\n\nInput validation and URL construction in the password recovery flow have been hardened.\n\nUsers should upgrade to **v3.79.1** or later.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere are no complete workarounds. Upgrading to **v3.79.1** is recommended.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "payload"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.79.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "@payloadcms/graphql"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.79.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34751"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.79.1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-472", "CWE-640" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-01T16:08:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-01T18:16:31Z"
  }
}