Description
### Summary
`qs.stringify` throws `TypeError` when called with `arrayFormat: 'comma'` and `encodeValuesOnly: true` on an array containing `null` or `undefined`. The throw is synchronous and not handled by any of qs's null-related options (`skipNulls`, `strictNullHandling`).
### Details
In the comma + `encodeValuesOnly` branch, `lib/stringify.js:145` mapped the array through the raw encoder before joining:
```js
obj = utils.maybeMap(obj, encoder);
```
`utils.encode` (`lib/utils.js:195`) reads `str.length` with no null guard, so a `null` or `undefined` element throws `TypeError`. `skipNulls` and `strictNullHandling` are both checked in the per-element loop below this line and never get a chance to run.
Same class of bug as the filter-array path fixed in 0c180a4. The vulnerable shape of the comma + `encodeValuesOnly` branch was introduced in 4c4b23d ("encode comma values more consistently", PR #463, 2023-01-19), first released in v6.11.1.
#### PoC
```js
const qs = require('qs');
qs.stringify({ a: [null, 'b'] }, { arrayFormat: 'comma', encodeValuesOnly: true });
qs.stringify({ a: [undefined, 'b'] }, { arrayFormat: 'comma', encodeValuesOnly: true });
qs.stringify({ a: [null] }, { arrayFormat: 'comma', encodeValuesOnly: true });
// TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'length')
// at encode (lib/utils.js:195:13)
// at Object.maybeMap (lib/utils.js:322:37)
// at stringify (lib/stringify.js:145:25)
```
#### Fix
`lib/stringify.js:145`, applied in 21f80b3 on `main` and released as v6.15.2:
```diff
- obj = utils.maybeMap(obj, encoder);
+ obj = utils.maybeMap(obj, function (v) {
+ return v == null ? v : encoder(v);
+ });
```
`null` and `undefined` now pass through `maybeMap` unchanged and reach the `join(',')` step as-is. For `{ a: [null, 'b'] }` this produces `a=,b`, matching the non-`encodeValuesOnly` comma path (which already joins before encoding and produces `a=%2Cb` for the same input). Single-element `[null]` arrays still collapse via the existing `obj.join(',') || null` and remain subject to `skipNulls` / `strictNullHandling` in the main loop.
### Affected versions
`>=6.11.1 <6.15.2` — fixed in v6.15.2.
The vulnerable code shape was introduced in 4c4b23d and first shipped in v6.11.1. Earlier versions — including all of 6.7.x, 6.8.x, 6.9.x, 6.10.x, and 6.11.0 — implemented the comma + `encodeValuesOnly` path differently (joining before encoding) and are not affected. Empirically verified across released versions.
### Impact
Application code that calls `qs.stringify` with both `arrayFormat: 'comma'` and `encodeValuesOnly: true` (both non-default) on input that may contain a `null` or `undefined` array element will throw synchronously instead of producing a query string. In a typical Node.js HTTP framework (Express, Fastify, Koa, hapi) the sync throw is caught by the framework's error boundary and the affected request returns a 500; the worker process does not exit and subsequent requests are unaffected. The "kills the worker process" framing applies only to call sites outside a request-handler error boundary (background jobs, startup paths, stream pipelines) or to deployments with framework error handling explicitly disabled.
The vulnerable input is a `null` or `undefined` entry inside an array; this is reachable from JSON request bodies or from application code constructing arrays from user input, but not from standard HTML form submissions (which produce strings or omitted fields, not literal `null`).
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| ljharb | qs | 6.11.1 – < 6.15.2 | 6.15.2 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | node-qs | 6.15.2+ds+~6.15.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
Show 4 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | node-qs | No fix yet | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Hardened Images 1 | dotnet8.0 | 8.0.127-1.hum1 | RHSA-2026:17682 |
| Red Hat Hardened Images 1 | nodejs20 +6 | 20.20.2-1.hum1 | RHSA-2026:9455 |
| Red Hat Hardened Images 1 | nodejs20-npm | 10.8.2-1.20.20.2.1.hum1 | RHSA-2026:9455 |
| Red Hat Hardened Images 1 | python3.14 +13 | 3.14.6-1.1.hum1 | RHSA-2026:38091, RHSA-2026:33521 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | js-jquery +1 | No fix yet | — |
Wolfi
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfi rolling | argo-workflows-ui-4.0 | 4.0.5-r5 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | code-server | 4.121.0-r1 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | json-server | 0.17.4-r7 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | jupyter-base-notebook | 7.6.3-r2 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | katib-earlystopping +8 | 0.19.0-r31 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | katib-suggestion-goptuna-compat | 0.19.0-r40 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | kubeflow-centraldashboard | 1.10.0-r22 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | kubeflow-pipelines-frontend | 2.16.1-r3 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | langfuse-3 +1 | 3.176.0-r0 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | opensearch-dashboards-3 +12 | 3.6.0-r4 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | prism | 5.15.10-r1 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | py3.10-jupyterlab +3 | 4.6.1-r1 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | renovate | 43.170.15-r2 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | saf | 1.6.0-r0 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | sqlpad | 7.5.7-r21 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | thingsboard-tb-web-ui +1 | 4.3.1.2-r1 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | tileserver-gl | 5.6.0-r3 | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| npm | qs | >= 6.11.1, < 6.15.2 | 6.15.2 | GHSA-q8mj-m7cp-5q26 |
Advisories 6
- WID-SEC-2026-3046 IBM Concert: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 10, 2026
- RHSA-2026:9455 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 19, 2026
- RHSA-2026:38091 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 17, 2026
- RHSA-2026:33521 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 17, 2026
- RHSA-2026:17682 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 17, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-2118 IBM App Connect Enterprise: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Aug 4, 2026