CVE-2026-18174: @fastify/forwarded vulnerable to improper input validation via unstripped tab characters in X-Forwarded-For
@fastify/forwarded resolves client addresses from the X-Forwarded-For header. In versions before 3.0.2, when the header contains two or more comma separated entries, the parser trims only space characters and does not strip horizontal tabs, even though RFC 7230 defines optional whitespace as both space and tab. As a result, an entry padded with a tab keeps the literal tab in the resolved address string. Applications that make exact string match security decisions on the resolved client IP, such as an allowlist, a blocklist, a per IP rate limit key, or audit log correlation, can be evaded because the tab corrupted string no longer matches the expected value. This does not cross the trust boundary, since a tab corrupted string is not a valid IP and cannot be mistaken for a trusted proxy. The issue is fixed in @fastify/forwarded 3.0.2.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
@fastify/forwardedto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.0.2
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-18174?
The severity of CVE-2026-18174 is classified as medium with a score of 5.3.
How does CVE-2026-18174 affect systems using @fastify/forwarded?
CVE-2026-18174 affects systems by allowing improper input validation due to unstripped tab characters in X-Forwarded-For headers.
What versions are impacted by CVE-2026-18174?
CVE-2026-18174 impacts all versions of @fastify/forwarded prior to 3.0.2.
How do I fix CVE-2026-18174?
To fix CVE-2026-18174, update @fastify/forwarded to version 3.0.2 or later.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-18174 categorized as?
CVE-2026-18174 is categorized as an Input Validation vulnerability.