CVE-2020-28441 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-1321 vulnerability in conf-cfg-ini. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2020-28441 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
conf-cfg-ini Prototype Pollution via malicious INI file before v1.2.2
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.
conf-cfg-ininpmDescription
This affects the package conf-cfg-ini before 1.2.2. If an attacker submits a malicious INI file to an application that parses it with decode, they will pollute the prototype on the application. This can be exploited further depending on the context.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | conf-cfg-ini | all versions | 1.2.2 |
Research 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 conf-cfg-ini. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update conf-cfg-ini to 1.2.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-28441 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2020-28441 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2020-28441. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2020-28441 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2020-28441 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.