Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
JSONata can be turned from a data-query component into a route for running attacker-chosen code when an application accepts untrusted JSONata expressions. Successful exploitation would give the attacker the permissions of the affected application process, potentially exposing data and disrupting systems.
Executive priority
Treat internet-facing or multi-tenant expression evaluation as an emergency remediation item. Prioritize immediate upgrade and exposure review because successful exploitation can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability with application-process privileges. Lower-exposure internal uses should still be patched promptly.
Technical view
The lookup function failed to restrict access to an object's own properties. Crafted expressions could traverse inherited prototype members and reach Node.js process capabilities, including child process execution. The issue is CWE-94 and carries CVSS 4.0 score 9.3. It is fixed in JSONata 1.8.8 and 2.2.0.
Likely exposure
Exposure is highest where users, tenants, API clients, workflow definitions, or imported configurations can control JSONata expressions evaluated by a Node.js service. Applications using vulnerable versions only with trusted, fixed expressions have a narrower attack surface, but dependency and input-path validation remains necessary.
Exploitation context
The supplied record is not listed in KEV, and the cited sources do not establish active exploitation in the wild. Exploitation requires the attacker to supply an expression for evaluation; no authentication or user interaction is required under the CVSS assessment.
Researcher notes
The vulnerable trust boundary is expression control, not ordinary JSON data alone. Review wrappers, workflow engines, transformation APIs, and configuration import paths that pass expressions into JSONata. The source bundle documents the prototype-property access chain and corrective own-property check, but provides no evidence of observed exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade the applicable JSONata branch to version 1.8.8 or 2.2.0.
- Confirm direct and transitive dependencies resolve to a fixed version.
- Until upgraded, prevent untrusted parties from supplying or modifying JSONata expressions.
- Reduce affected service privileges and isolate it from unnecessary systems and sensitive data.
Validation and detection
- Inventory applications and services using JSONata, including transitive dependencies.
- Verify the version running in each deployed artifact, container, and serverless bundle.
- Trace every source of JSONata expressions and identify attacker-controlled or tenant-controlled inputs.
- After upgrading, confirm dependency locks and production artifacts contain the fixed release.
- Review relevant telemetry for unexpected child processes or anomalous expression-evaluation activity.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-94: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-77413 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.3 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——GitHub_MVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
9.3CriticalVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/security/advisories/GHSA-8gq3-vp5j-2grpCVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/pull/794CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/commit/4b217d514376e30cba278941298d7ba97c4a6c6eCVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/commit/4c5f4adfb90a9b500889d50f90050ca68888b50dCVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/releases/tag/v1.8.8CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/jsonata-js/jsonata/releases/tag/v2.2.0CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Control of Generation of Code
Improper Control of Generation of Code represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.