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fast-uri vulnerable to host confusion via backslash authority introducer

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jul 31, 2026 in fastify/fast-uri

Package

npm fast-uri (npm)

Affected versions

< 2.4.4
>= 3.0.0, < 3.1.5
>= 4.0.0, < 4.1.2

Patched versions

2.4.4
3.1.5
4.1.2

Description

Impact

fast-uri v4.1.1 and earlier require a literal // to recognize a URI authority, so a reference that uses \\, /\, or \/ as the authority introducer (in place of //, after an optional scheme) is parsed with no authority: the sequence and everything after it fold into the path. Node's native WHATWG URL (used by fetch(), undici, and Node's http/https clients) instead treats \ as interchangeable with / for special schemes (http, https, ws, wss, ftp, file), so the two parsers extract different hosts from the same input.

For example, fast-uri resolves \\evil.com/path against base https://allowed.com/ to https://allowed.com/%5C%5Cevil.com/path (confined to the trusted host), while Node's WHATWG URL resolves the same reference to https://evil.com/path.

Applications that use fast-uri to enforce host-based policy (allowlists, denylists, loopback/SSRF filtering, redirect validation, outbound proxy routing) before passing the same URL into Node's URL or fetch() consumers see a policy/use desync and can be steered to an unintended destination.

Patches

Upgrade to fast-uri v4.1.2, v3.1.5, v2.4.4.

Workarounds

None. Upgrade to the patched version.

References

@mcollina mcollina published to fastify/fast-uri Jul 31, 2026
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jul 31, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Aug 3, 2026
Reviewed Aug 3, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(12th percentile)

Weaknesses

Interpretation Conflict

Product A handles inputs or steps differently than Product B, which causes A to perform incorrect actions based on its perception of B's state. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-18446

GHSA ID

GHSA-7p8r-x3mc-p8w7

Source code

Credits

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