CVE-2026-84428: fastify vulnerable to header validation bypass via incomplete schema case normalization

Published Sep 4, 2026
·
Updated

fastify versions before 5.12.2 implement the case-insensitive nature of HTTP header names by lowercasing names in a route's header schema before compiling it, but the transformation is incomplete: it lowercases the properties keys and the root-level required array, and does not lowercase the trigger and dependent names inside the JSON Schema Draft 7 dependencies keyword. Because Node stores request header names in lowercase, a canonical-case dependency such as requiring an authentication header whenever a privileged-mode header is present never matches, and the presence assertion is silently skipped. An unauthenticated remote client can therefore send the header that activates a privileged branch while omitting the header the dependency was meant to require, bypassing the conditional check. Users should upgrade to fastify 5.12.2 or later.

Affected Software

1 affected component
fastify<5.12.2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade fastify to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.12.2

Event History

Sep 4, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:24 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:24 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness

Frequently Asked Questions

1

Which deployments are exposed?

Fastify versions before 5.12.2 are exposed when a route's header schema uses the JSON Schema Draft 7 dependencies keyword to conditionally require one header based on another, and the dependency trigger or dependent header name is not normalized to lowercase.

2

What does an attacker need to exploit this?

An unauthenticated remote client needs to be able to reach a route with the affected header-schema dependency. They can send the header that enables a privileged branch while omitting the authentication header that the dependency was intended to require.

3

How can I identify affected routes?

Review route header schemas for dependencies that express requirements between headers, especially rules requiring authentication when a privileged-mode header is present. Check whether the trigger and dependent header names within dependencies use canonical or mixed case rather than lowercase.

4

What is the remediation?

Upgrade Fastify to version 5.12.2 or later.

Contact

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