{"id":"CVE-2026-110816","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"qs.stringify with arrayFormat comma throws TypeError on array elements that cannot be coerced to a string","description":"### Summary\n\n\n\n`qs.stringify` with `arrayFormat: 'comma'` throws `TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value` when an array element cannot be coerced to a string, such as an object with an own non-callable `toString` (`{ \"toString\": \"x\" }`) or a null-prototype object. The comma format joins array elements with `Array.prototype.join` and, under `encodeValuesOnly`, first passes each element through `String()` in `utils.encode`; neither guards against an element whose string coercion fails.\n\n\n\n### Details\n\n\n\nIn `lib/stringify.js`, the comma branch collapses the array with `obj.join(',')`. For an element whose own `toString` is not callable, `ToPrimitive` skips it, falls through to `Object.prototype.valueOf` (which returns the object itself), and throws. Under `encodeValuesOnly: true`, the same element first reaches `String(str)` in `utils.encode` (`lib/utils.js`) and throws there. Nested arrays (`{ \"a\": [[{ \"toString\": \"x\" }]] }`) throw the same way, through `Array.prototype.toString`. The `indices`, `brackets`, and `repeat` formats walk into object elements instead of coercing them, and are not affected.\n\n\n\nSuch elements can come from untrusted input. `JSON.parse` produces `{ \"a\": [{ \"toString\": \"x\" }] }` with no qs option involved. `qs.parse(\"a[0][toString]=x\", { allowPrototypes: true })` keeps the `toString` key, and `qs.parse(\"a[][b]=c\", { plainObjects: true })` produces a null-prototype element; the default parse options drop `toString` and produce ordinary objects, which do not throw. Express 4's default `query parser`, Express 5's `extended` query parser, and body-parser's `urlencoded({ extended: true })` all call `qs.parse` with `allowPrototypes: true`.\n\n\n\n#### PoC\n\n\n\n```js\n\n\n\nvar qs = require(\"qs\");\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(JSON.parse(\"{\\\"a\\\":[{\\\"toString\\\":\\\"x\\\"}]}\"), { arrayFormat: \"comma\" });\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(qs.parse(\"a[0][toString]=x\", { allowPrototypes: true }), { arrayFormat: \"comma\" });\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(qs.parse(\"a[][b]=c\", { plainObjects: true }), { arrayFormat: \"comma\", encodeValuesOnly: true });\n\n\n\n// TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value\n\n\n\n```\n\n\n\n#### Fix\n\n\n\nApplied in a952e75 on `main` and released as v6.16.1: an element whose string coercion would fail is coerced to its primitive `valueOf`, if any, or else to `Object.prototype.toString`, so it renders as `[object Object]`, the same as any other object element already does under the comma format. Nested arrays are walked the way `join` walks them. Every input that did not previously throw serializes exactly as before, and a `toString` or `valueOf` that itself throws still propagates.\n\n\n\n### Affected versions\n\n\n\n`>=6.7.0 <6.16.1`, fixed in v6.16.1.\n\n\n\nThe `join` path was introduced with the comma format in b84acba and first shipped in v6.7.0; v6.6.x and earlier ignore `arrayFormat: 'comma'` and are not affected. The `encodeValuesOnly` `String()` site was introduced in 4c4b23d (v6.11.1); before that, the same input throws at `join`. Every release from v6.7.0 through v6.16.0 is affected.\n\n\n\n### Impact\n\n\n\nAn unauthenticated request can make any code path that re-serializes attacker-influenced data with `qs.stringify` and `arrayFormat: 'comma'` (for example, rebuilding a query string from `req.query` for a redirect or an upstream request, or serializing a parsed JSON body) throw synchronously. In a typical Node.js HTTP framework the throw is caught by the framework error boundary and the affected request returns a 500; the process survives and other requests are unaffected. Where the call runs outside an error boundary, such as an `async` Express 4 handler (where the throw becomes an unhandled promise rejection) or a bare `http` request handler, the process exits, so the impact in that case depends on the application error handling rather than on qs. The default `arrayFormat` (`indices`) is not affected.","publishedAt":"2026-10-14T22:05:24.015Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-16T20:17:48.588Z","severity":{"score":6.3,"label":"Medium","version":"4.0","vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","source":"harborist"},"assigner":"harborist","products":["ljharb qs"],"affected":[{"vendor":"ljharb","product":"qs","packageName":"qs","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"6.7.0","status":"affected","lessThan":"6.16.1","versionType":"semver"}],"collectionURL":"https://npmjs.com/qs","repo":"https://github.com/ljharb/qs"}],"references":["https://github.com/ljharb/qs/security/advisories/GHSA-6pq8-jhm2-2vcw","https://github.com/ljharb/qs/commit/a952e7519338ef0cfb25694a2988848f93333727"],"weaknesses":["CWE-248","CWE-704"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:10:33.477Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/110xxx/CVE-2026-110816.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-110816","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-10-14T22:05:24.015Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-16T20:17:48.588Z","assignerShortName":"harborist","assignerOrgId":"7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158","dateReserved":"2026-10-14T21:40:55.805Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"qs.stringify with arrayFormat comma throws TypeError on array elements that cannot be coerced to a string","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"### Summary\n\n\n\n`qs.stringify` with `arrayFormat: 'comma'` throws `TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value` when an array element cannot be coerced to a string, such as an object with an own non-callable `toString` (`{ \"toString\": \"x\" }`) or a null-prototype object. The comma format joins array elements with `Array.prototype.join` and, under `encodeValuesOnly`, first passes each element through `String()` in `utils.encode`; neither guards against an element whose string coercion fails.\n\n\n\n### Details\n\n\n\nIn `lib/stringify.js`, the comma branch collapses the array with `obj.join(',')`. For an element whose own `toString` is not callable, `ToPrimitive` skips it, falls through to `Object.prototype.valueOf` (which returns the object itself), and throws. Under `encodeValuesOnly: true`, the same element first reaches `String(str)` in `utils.encode` (`lib/utils.js`) and throws there. Nested arrays (`{ \"a\": [[{ \"toString\": \"x\" }]] }`) throw the same way, through `Array.prototype.toString`. The `indices`, `brackets`, and `repeat` formats walk into object elements instead of coercing them, and are not affected.\n\n\n\nSuch elements can come from untrusted input. `JSON.parse` produces `{ \"a\": [{ \"toString\": \"x\" }] }` with no qs option involved. `qs.parse(\"a[0][toString]=x\", { allowPrototypes: true })` keeps the `toString` key, and `qs.parse(\"a[][b]=c\", { plainObjects: true })` produces a null-prototype element; the default parse options drop `toString` and produce ordinary objects, which do not throw. Express 4's default `query parser`, Express 5's `extended` query parser, and body-parser's `urlencoded({ extended: true })` all call `qs.parse` with `allowPrototypes: true`.\n\n\n\n#### PoC\n\n\n\n```js\n\n\n\nvar qs = require(\"qs\");\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(JSON.parse(\"{\\\"a\\\":[{\\\"toString\\\":\\\"x\\\"}]}\"), { arrayFormat: \"comma\" });\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(qs.parse(\"a[0][toString]=x\", { allowPrototypes: true }), { arrayFormat: \"comma\" });\n\n\n\nqs.stringify(qs.parse(\"a[][b]=c\", { plainObjects: true }), { arrayFormat: \"comma\", encodeValuesOnly: true });\n\n\n\n// TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value\n\n\n\n```\n\n\n\n#### Fix\n\n\n\nApplied in a952e75 on `main` and released as v6.16.1: an element whose string coercion would fail is coerced to its primitive `valueOf`, if any, or else to `Object.prototype.toString`, so it renders as `[object Object]`, the same as any other object element already does under the comma format. Nested arrays are walked the way `join` walks them. Every input that did not previously throw serializes exactly as before, and a `toString` or `valueOf` that itself throws still propagates.\n\n\n\n### Affected versions\n\n\n\n`>=6.7.0 <6.16.1`, fixed in v6.16.1.\n\n\n\nThe `join` path was introduced with the comma format in b84acba and first shipped in v6.7.0; v6.6.x and earlier ignore `arrayFormat: 'comma'` and are not affected. The `encodeValuesOnly` `String()` site was introduced in 4c4b23d (v6.11.1); before that, the same input throws at `join`. Every release from v6.7.0 through v6.16.0 is affected.\n\n\n\n### Impact\n\n\n\nAn unauthenticated request can make any code path that re-serializes attacker-influenced data with `qs.stringify` and `arrayFormat: 'comma'` (for example, rebuilding a query string from `req.query` for a redirect or an upstream request, or serializing a parsed JSON body) throw synchronously. In a typical Node.js HTTP framework the throw is caught by the framework error boundary and the affected request returns a 500; the process survives and other requests are unaffected. Where the call runs outside an error boundary, such as an `async` Express 4 handler (where the throw becomes an unhandled promise rejection) or a bare `http` request handler, the process exits, so the impact in that case depends on the application error handling rather than on qs. The default `arrayFormat` (`indices`) is not affected."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"ljharb","product":"qs","packageName":"qs","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"6.7.0","status":"affected","lessThan":"6.16.1","versionType":"semver"}],"collectionURL":"https://npmjs.com/qs","repo":"https://github.com/ljharb/qs"}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/ljharb/qs/security/advisories/GHSA-6pq8-jhm2-2vcw","tags":["vendor-advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/ljharb/qs/commit/a952e7519338ef0cfb25694a2988848f93333727","tags":["patch"]}],"metrics":[{"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}],"cvssV3_1":{"version":"3.1","attackVector":"NETWORK","attackComplexity":"LOW","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","confidentialityImpact":"NONE","integrityImpact":"NONE","availabilityImpact":"LOW","baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","baseScore":5.3,"vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"}},{"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}],"cvssV4_0":{"attackVector":"NETWORK","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"PRESENT","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","vulnIntegrityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"LOW","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","exploitMaturity":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED","version":"4.0","baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","baseScore":6.3,"vectorString":"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-248","lang":"en","description":"CWE-248 Uncaught Exception","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-704","lang":"en","description":"CWE-704 Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"harborist","orgId":"7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158","dateUpdated":"2026-10-14T22:05:24.015Z"},"workarounds":[{"lang":"en","value":"Use the default `arrayFormat` (`indices`), or pass a `filter` function to `qs.stringify` that replaces non-primitive array elements before the comma format joins them. Alternatively, wrap `qs.stringify` calls on externally influenced objects in try/catch, and avoid `allowPrototypes: true` / `plainObjects: true` when parsed untrusted input is fed back into `qs.stringify`.","supportingMedia":[{"type":"text/html","base64":false,"value":"<p>Use the default `arrayFormat` (`indices`), or pass a `filter` function to `qs.stringify` that replaces non-primitive array elements before the comma format joins them. Alternatively, wrap `qs.stringify` calls on externally influenced objects in try/catch, and avoid `allowPrototypes: true` / `plainObjects: true` when parsed untrusted input is fed back into `qs.stringify`.</p>"}]}],"solutions":[{"lang":"en","value":"Upgrade to qs 6.16.1 or later.","supportingMedia":[{"type":"text/html","base64":false,"value":"<p>Upgrade to qs 6.16.1 or later.</p>"}]}],"credits":[{"lang":"en","value":"manus-pi","type":"finder"},{"lang":"en","value":"Lucidsec","type":"finder"},{"lang":"en","value":"ljharb","type":"remediation developer"}],"source":{"discovery":"EXTERNAL"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/ljharb/qs/security/advisories/GHSA-6pq8-jhm2-2vcw","tags":["exploit"]}],"metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-10-16T20:17:24.605809Z","id":"CVE-2026-110816","options":[{"Exploitation":"poc"},{"Automatable":"yes"},{"Technical Impact":"partial"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-10-16T20:17:48.588Z"}}]}}}