Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-105845: Payload: SQL Injection in SQLite and Postgres
Payload is a free and open source headless content management system.
CVSS 9.8 Critical EPSS 0.4% · p31
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.4%, percentile 31: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 31% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
payload(npm) >= 3.0.0, < 3.88.0, fixed in 3.88.0;payload(npm) >= 4.0.0-canary.0, < 4.0.0-canary.27, fixed in 4.0.0-canary.27. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
Payload is a free and open source headless content management system. In versions from 3.0.0 before 3.88.0 and canary versions before 4.0.0-canary.27, an untrusted user who can query readable collections through dynamic filters or joins can submit a request that causes SQL injection in the SQLite and Postgres adapters. This issue is fixed in versions 3.88.0 and 4.0.0-canary.27.
From the GitHub advisory
Impact A user can submit a request that exploits a SQL Injection vulnerability in Payload.
You are affected if: - You use an affected Payload version. - Untrusted users can query readable collections using dynamic filters or joins.
You are not affected if you use MongoDB (@payloadcms/mongodb).
Patches Users should upgrade Payload packages to >= 3.88.0 or >= 4.0.0-canary.27.
Workarounds Upgrading to a patched version is recommended. Until you can upgrade, restrict untrusted users from supplying dynamic query filters or join parameters and limit read access to affected collections.
Weakness type: CWE-89.
Product: payload (npm) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2026-10-06
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | payload | >= 3.0.0, < 3.88.0 | 3.88.0 |
| npm | payload | >= 4.0.0-canary.0, < 4.0.0-canary.27 | 4.0.0-canary.27 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| payloadcms | payload | >= 3.0.0, < 3.88.0, >= 4.0.0-canary.0, < 4.0.0-canary.27 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_M | 3.1 | 9.8 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.38% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 31.
Timeline
- — CVE record last updated
- — CVE record published by GitHub_M
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-v49j-62m6-pgrr published (critical)
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-v49j-62m6-pgrr github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-105845 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-105845 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com