CVE-2026-2391 (Low) detected in qs-6.5.3.tgz

[mend-bolt-for-github]

CVE-2026-2391 - Low Severity Vulnerability

Vulnerable Library - qs-6.5.3.tgz

A querystring parser that supports nesting and arrays, with a depth limit

Library home page: https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/-/qs-6.5.3.tgz

Path to dependency file: /package.json

Path to vulnerable library: /node_modules/qs/package.json

Dependency Hierarchy:

• electron-rebuild-1.11.0.tgz (Root Library)
  • node-gyp-6.1.0.tgz
    • request-2.88.2.tgz
      • ❌ qs-6.5.3.tgz (Vulnerable Library)

Found in HEAD commit: ae62db6079d7852a74ec7949f57fe5a5bbcbe2a7

Found in base branch: master

Vulnerability Details

Summary
The "arrayLimit" option in qs does not enforce limits for comma-separated values when "comma: true" is enabled, allowing attackers to cause denial-of-service via memory exhaustion. This is a bypass of the array limit enforcement, similar to the bracket notation bypass addressed in GHSA-6rw7-vpxm-498p (CVE-2025-15284).
Details
When the "comma" option is set to "true" (not the default, but configurable in applications), qs allows parsing comma-separated strings as arrays (e.g., "?param=a,b,c" becomes "['a', 'b', 'c']"). However, the limit check for "arrayLimit" (default: 20) and the optional throwOnLimitExceeded occur after the comma-handling logic in "parseArrayValue", enabling a bypass. This permits creation of arbitrarily large arrays from a single parameter, leading to excessive memory allocation.
Vulnerable code (lib/parse.js: lines ~40-50):
if (val && typeof val === 'string' && options.comma && val.indexOf(',') > -1) {
    return val.split(',');
}
if (options.throwOnLimitExceeded && currentArrayLength >= options.arrayLimit) {
    throw new RangeError('Array limit exceeded. Only ' + options.arrayLimit + ' element' + (options.arrayLimit === 1 ? '' : 's') + ' allowed in an array.');
}
return val;
The "split(',')" returns the array immediately, skipping the subsequent limit check. Downstream merging via "utils.combine" does not prevent allocation, even if it marks overflows for sparse arrays.This discrepancy allows attackers to send a single parameter with millions of commas (e.g., "?param=,,,,,,,,..."), allocating massive arrays in memory without triggering limits. It bypasses the intent of "arrayLimit", which is enforced correctly for indexed ("a[0]=") and bracket ("a[]=") notations (the latter fixed in v6.14.1 per GHSA-6rw7-vpxm-498p).
PoC
Test 1 - Basic bypass:
npm install qs
const qs = require('qs');
const payload = 'a=' + ','.repeat(25); // 26 elements after split (bypasses arrayLimit: 5)
const options = { comma: true, arrayLimit: 5, throwOnLimitExceeded: true };
try {
  const result = qs.parse(payload, options);
  console.log(result.a.length); // Outputs: 26 (bypass successful)
} catch (e) {
  console.log('Limit enforced:', e.message); // Not thrown
}
Configuration:

• "comma: true"
• "arrayLimit: 5"
• "throwOnLimitExceeded: true"
  Expected: Throws "Array limit exceeded" error.
  Actual: Parses successfully, creating an array of length 26.
  Impact
  Denial of Service (DoS) via memory exhaustion.
  Mend Note: The description of this vulnerability differs from MITRE.

Publish Date: 2026-02-12

URL: CVE-2026-2391

CVSS 3 Score Details (3.7)

Base Score Metrics:

• Exploitability Metrics:
  • Attack Vector: Network
  • Attack Complexity: High
  • Privileges Required: None
  • User Interaction: None
  • Scope: Unchanged
• Impact Metrics:
  • Confidentiality Impact: None
  • Integrity Impact: None
  • Availability Impact: Low

For more information on CVSS3 Scores, click here.

Suggested Fix

Type: Upgrade version

Origin: GHSA-w7fw-mjwx-w883

Release Date: 2026-02-12

Fix Resolution (qs): 6.14.2

Direct dependency fix Resolution (electron-rebuild): 3.0.0

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