Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-110816

medium Nessus Plugin ID 366413

Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

- ### Summary `qs.stringify` with `arrayFormat: 'comma'` throws `TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value` when an array element cannot be coerced to a string, such as an object with an own non- callable `toString` (`{ toString: x }`) or a null-prototype object. The comma format joins array elements with `Array.prototype.join` and, under `encodeValuesOnly`, first passes each element through `String()` in `utils.encode`; neither guards against an element whose string coercion fails. ### Details In `lib/stringify.js`, the comma branch collapses the array with `obj.join(',')`. For an element whose own `toString` is not callable, `ToPrimitive` skips it, falls through to `Object.prototype.valueOf` (which returns the object itself), and throws. Under `encodeValuesOnly: true`, the same element first reaches `String(str)` in `utils.encode` (`lib/utils.js`) and throws there. Nested arrays (`{ a: [[{ toString:
x }]] }`) throw the same way, through `Array.prototype.toString`. The `indices`, `brackets`, and `repeat` formats walk into object elements instead of coercing them, and are not affected. Such elements can come from untrusted input. `JSON.parse` produces `{ a: [{ toString: x }] }` with no qs option involved. `qs.parse(a[0][toString]=x, { allowPrototypes: true })` keeps the `toString` key, and `qs.parse(a[][b]=c, { plainObjects: true })` produces a null-prototype element; the default parse options drop `toString` and produce ordinary objects, which do not throw. Express 4's default `query parser`, Express 5's `extended` query parser, and body-parser's `urlencoded({ extended: true })` all call `qs.parse` with `allowPrototypes: true`. #### PoC ```js var qs = require(qs);
qs.stringify(JSON.parse({\a\:[{\toString\:\x\}]}), { arrayFormat: comma });
qs.stringify(qs.parse(a[0][toString]=x, { allowPrototypes: true }), { arrayFormat: comma });
qs.stringify(qs.parse(a[][b]=c, { plainObjects: true }), { arrayFormat: comma, encodeValuesOnly: true }); // TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value ``` #### Fix Applied in a952e75 on `main` and released as v6.16.1: an element whose string coercion would fail is coerced to its primitive `valueOf`, if any, or else to `Object.prototype.toString`, so it renders as `[object Object]`, the same as any other object element already does under the comma format. Nested arrays are walked the way `join` walks them.
Every input that did not previously throw serializes exactly as before, and a `toString` or `valueOf` that itself throws still propagates. ### Affected versions `>=6.7.0 <6.16.1`, fixed in v6.16.1. The `join` path was introduced with the comma format in b84acba and first shipped in v6.7.0; v6.6.x and earlier ignore `arrayFormat: 'comma'` and are not affected. The `encodeValuesOnly` `String()` site was introduced in 4c4b23d (v6.11.1); before that, the same input throws at `join`. Every release from v6.7.0 through v6.16.0 is affected. ### Impact An unauthenticated request can make any code path that re-serializes attacker- influenced data with `qs.stringify` and `arrayFormat: 'comma'` (for example, rebuilding a query string from `req.query` for a redirect or an upstream request, or serializing a parsed JSON body) throw synchronously. In a typical Node.js HTTP framework the throw is caught by the framework error boundary and the affected request returns a 500; the process survives and other requests are unaffected. Where the call runs outside an error boundary, such as an `async` Express 4 handler (where the throw becomes an unhandled promise rejection) or a bare `http` request handler, the process exits, so the impact in that case depends on the application error handling rather than on qs. The default `arrayFormat` (`indices`) is not affected. (CVE-2026-110816)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 366413

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2026_110816.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: Local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 10/16/2026

Updated: 10/16/2026

Supported Sensors: Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Low

Score: 3.9

Percentile: 52.43

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 9

Temporal Score: 7.7

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:P/A:P

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2026-110816

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.3

Temporal Score: 4.9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C

CVSS v4

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 6.3

Threat Score: 1.7

Threat Vector: CVSS:4.0/E:U

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0, cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:13.0, cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:14.0, p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:node-qs

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 10/14/2026

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2026-110816

Detections

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