NodeBB vulnerable to account takeover via prototype vulnerability

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

9.4 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

EPSS

• CVE-2022-46164: 47.37% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.84 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact Due to a plain object with a prototype being used in socket.io message handling a specially crafted payload can be used to impersonate other users and takeover accounts. Patches Patched in 2.6.1 Workarounds Site maintainers can cherry-pick https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/commit/48d143921753914da45926cca6370a92ed0c46b8 into their codebase to patch the exploit. For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: Discuss it on our community forum Email us at support@nodebb.org

Published by the source

5 Dec 2022, 23:06 UTC

Last modified by the source

8 Nov 2023, 04:10 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:17 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2022-46164

Advisory: NodeBB vulnerable to account takeover via prototype vulnerability
IDs: CVE-2022-46164, GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2022-46164 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:17 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.4)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: nodebb 2.6.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm nodebb: affected < 2.6.1; fixed in 2.6.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls nodebb --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on nodebb.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675 (OSV record GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675 lists affected ranges: npm nodebb >=0 <2.6.1 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675 lists affected ranges: npm nodebb >=0 <2.6.1)

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