CVE-2021-23434 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.6) CWE-843 vulnerability in object-path. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for object-path — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Prototype Pollution in object-path
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2021-23434 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,386 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
object-pathnpmDescription
This affects the package object-path before 0.11.6. A type confusion vulnerability can lead to a bypass of CVE-2020-15256 when the path components used in the path parameter are arrays. In particular, the condition currentPath === 'proto' returns false if currentPath is ['proto']. This is because the === operator returns always false when the type of the operands is different.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | object-path | all versions | 0.11.6npm install object-path@0.11.6 |
Affected Products
debian linuxdebianobject-pathobject-path_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 object-path, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update object-path to 0.11.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-23434 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-23434 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.