GHSA-wr5m-5jph-8m96: Mongoose: Discriminator key values matching inherited properties (e.g. __t: 'constructor') bypass schema casting and can poison collections
Mongoose is a MongoDB object modeling tool designed to work in an asynchronous environment. Prior to 6.13.12, 7.8.13, 8.24.7, and 9.11.4, Mongoose uses attacker-controlled discriminator key values, including the default t field, to index plain-object registries such as Model.discriminators and schema.discriminators without requiring an own property. Values such as constructor, toString, or hasOwnProperty can therefore resolve to inherited built-in functions instead of a registered discriminator, causing type confusion in model construction, document creation, hydration, query and update casting, embedded discriminators, and populate operations. In the bulkWrite() insertOne path with skipValidation enabled, a constructor value can cause a raw input object to be stored without schema casting or strict filtering, and a stored poisoned document can make every query that hydrates it fail until the document is removed. The weakness reads inherited properties but does not modify Object.prototype and is not prototype pollution. This issue is fixed in versions 6.13.12, 7.8.13, 8.24.7, and 9.11.4.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
Mongooseto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.13.12 - Upgrade
Upgrade
Mongooseto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.8.13 - Upgrade
Upgrade
Mongooseto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 8.24.7 - Upgrade
Upgrade
Mongooseto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 9.11.4
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which applications are exposed by default?
Applications using Mongoose discriminators may be affected because the default discriminator key is __t. Exposure requires attacker-controlled discriminator key values that can match inherited property names such as constructor, toString, or hasOwnProperty.
What conditions make the most serious data-integrity impact possible?
The documented raw-storage path is bulkWrite() with an insertOne operation and skipValidation enabled. In that path, a discriminator value of constructor can store a raw input object without schema casting or strict filtering.
How can an existing poisoned record affect the application?
A stored poisoned document can cause every query that hydrates that document to fail until the document is removed. This can affect operations that perform hydration, including queries and populate operations.
What should be done if a poisoned document is identified?
Remove the poisoned document to restore queries that fail while hydrating it. Upgrade Mongoose to 6.13.12, 7.8.13, 8.24.7, or 9.11.4, depending on the major version in use.