CVE-2020-28276 — deep-set
CRITICALCVE-2020-28276 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability in deep-set. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.
Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'deep-set'
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, a proxy for how much of the ecosystem is exposed.
deep-setnpmDescription
The NPM module 'deep-set' can be abused by Prototype Pollution vulnerability since the function deepSet() does not check for the type of object before assigning value to the property. Due to this flaw an attacker could create a non-existent property or able to manipulate the property which leads to Denial of Service or potentially Remote code execution.
PoC
var deepSet = require('deep-set')
var obj = {'1':'2'}
console.log(obj.isAdmin);
deepSet(obj, '__proto__.isAdmin', 'true')
console.log(obj.isAdmin);
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | deep-set | ≥ 1.0.0 | No fix |
Affected Products
deep-setdeep-set_projectResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for deep-set, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
The records we use list no patched version of deep-set for CVE-2020-28276. Check the maintainer's advisory, and where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range.
Mitigate without a patch
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2020-28276 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.