url-parse incorrectly parses hostname / protocol due to unstripped leading control characters.
Leading control characters in a URL are not stripped when passed into url-parse. This can cause input URLs to be mistakenly be interpreted as a relative URL without a hostname and protocol, while the WHATWG URL parser will trim control characters and treat it as an absolute URL.
If url-parse is used in security decisions involving the hostname / protocol, and the input URL is used in a client which uses the WHATWG URL parser, the decision may be incorrect.
This can also lead to a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability if url-parse is used to check for the javascript: protocol in URLs. See following example:
const parse = require('url-parse')
const express = require('express')
const app = express()
const port = 3000
url = parse(\"\\bjavascript:alert(1)\")
console.log(url)
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
if (url.protocol !== \"javascript:\") {res.send(\"<a href=\\'\" + url.href + \"\\'>CLICK ME!</a>\")}
})
app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(`Example app listening on port ${port}`)
})Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm package | url-parse | >= 0.1.0, < 1.5.9 | 1.5.9 |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-0691
- https://github.com/github/advisory-database/pull/6765
- https://github.com/unshiftio/url-parse/commit/0e3fb542d60ddbf6933f22eb9b1e06e25eaa5b63
- https://github.com/unshiftio/url-parse
- https://huntr.dev/bounties/57124ed5-4b68-4934-8325-2c546257f2e4
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/02/msg00030.html
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220325-0006
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-639- Platform
- npm
- Package
url-parse- Disclosed
- 22.02.2022
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-jf5r-8hm2-f872 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: url-parse
All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 8
- First → latest
- 08.2018 02.2022
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 2
- Medium 6
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 1
- 2019: 0
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 2
- 2022: 5
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
-
url-parse incorrectly parses hostname / protocol due to unstripped leading control characters. this entry
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