CVE-2024-57965: Axios Origin Validation Vulnerability

CVE-2024-57965 Overview

CVE-2024-57965 is a vulnerability affecting the popular Axios HTTP client library for Node.js. The issue resides in lib/helpers/isURLSameOrigin.js, where the code does not properly use a URL object when determining an origin. Additionally, the affected code contains a potentially unwanted setAttribute('href',href) call that could be leveraged by attackers. This vulnerability is categorized as CWE-346: Origin Validation Error.

It is worth noting that some security researchers have expressed the opinion that the code change primarily addresses a warning message from a Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tool rather than fixing a direct exploitable vulnerability. Organizations should evaluate the risk based on their specific deployment context.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability in Axios's origin validation mechanism could potentially allow attackers to bypass same-origin policy checks, leading to unauthorized cross-origin requests in applications that rely on this validation for security controls.

Affected Products

• Axios versions prior to 1.7.8 (Node.js package)
• Applications using vulnerable Axios versions for HTTP requests
• Web applications relying on Axios's origin validation functionality

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-01-29 - CVE-2024-57965 published to NVD
• 2025-09-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-57965

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the isURLSameOrigin.js helper module within Axios. This module is responsible for determining whether a given URL shares the same origin as the current document, which is a critical security check in browser environments to prevent cross-origin attacks.

The flawed implementation fails to properly utilize the URL object API when parsing and comparing origins. Instead of leveraging the browser's native URL parsing capabilities, the code uses a DOM element-based approach with setAttribute('href', href). This technique, while functional, can lead to inconsistent behavior and potential security bypasses depending on how different browsers handle the attribute assignment.

The CWE-346 classification indicates an Origin Validation Error, which means the application fails to properly verify that the origin of a request or data matches expected origins. In the context of HTTP clients like Axios, improper origin validation can allow malicious actors to craft requests that bypass intended security restrictions.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from the use of a deprecated or non-standard method for URL parsing in the isURLSameOrigin.js module. Rather than instantiating a proper URL object to parse and extract origin components (protocol, hostname, port), the code relies on setting the href attribute on an anchor element. This approach has known inconsistencies across different browser implementations and can lead to incorrect origin determinations.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no privileges or user interaction. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Crafting malicious URLs that exploit inconsistencies in the origin parsing logic
2. Tricking the Axios library into believing a cross-origin request is same-origin
3. Bypassing CORS-related security controls in applications that depend on Axios's origin checking

The vulnerability could be leveraged in scenarios where web applications use Axios's internal origin validation as part of their security architecture, potentially allowing unauthorized data access or request forgery.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-57965

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected cross-origin HTTP requests originating from applications using Axios
• Anomalous network traffic patterns suggesting CORS bypass attempts
• Application logs showing requests to origins that should have been blocked

Detection Strategies

• Audit package.json and package-lock.json files for Axios versions below 1.7.8
• Use Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools to identify vulnerable Axios dependencies
• Review npm audit results for known vulnerability alerts related to Axios
• Implement network monitoring to detect unusual cross-origin request patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for HTTP requests in applications using Axios
• Monitor for SAST/DAST tool alerts flagging the isURLSameOrigin.js module
• Track dependency updates and security advisories from the Axios project on GitHub

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-57965

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Axios to version 1.7.8 or later immediately
• Run npm audit or equivalent package manager security scans to identify vulnerable installations
• Review application code to assess reliance on Axios's origin validation functionality
• Consider implementing additional server-side origin validation as defense-in-depth

Patch Information

The Axios development team has addressed this vulnerability in version 1.7.8. The fix involves properly utilizing the URL object for origin determination rather than relying on the setAttribute approach. Technical details of the patch can be found in the GitHub Pull Request #6714 and the commit reference. The official release is available at GitHub Release v1.7.8.

Workarounds

• Implement server-side CORS validation as the primary security control rather than relying on client-side Axios checks
• Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict allowed origins at the browser level
• Audit and restrict outbound network requests from the application layer
• Consider using alternative HTTP clients if immediate upgrade is not possible

# Upgrade Axios to patched version
npm update axios@latest

# Or specify the minimum safe version
npm install axios@">=1.7.8"

# Verify installed version
npm list axios