Summary
A flaw in the CORS middleware allowed request Vary headers to be reflected into the response, enabling attacker-controlled Vary values and potentially affecting cache behavior.
Details
The middleware previously copied the Vary header from the request when origin was not set to "*". Since Vary is a response header that should only be managed by the server, this could allow an attacker to influence caching behavior or cause inconsistent CORS handling.
Most environments will see impact only when shared caches or proxies rely on the Vary header. The practical effect varies by configuration.
Resolution
Update to the latest patched release. The CORS middleware has been corrected to handle Vary exclusively as a response header.
Impact
May cause cache key pollution and inconsistent CORS enforcement in certain setups. No direct confidentiality, integrity, or availability impact in default configurations.
GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P has a CVSS score of 4.2 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (4.10.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P? GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P is a medium-severity security vulnerability in hono (npm), affecting versions < 4.10.3. It is fixed in 4.10.3.
- How severe is GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P? GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P has a CVSS score of 4.2 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of hono are affected by GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P? hono (npm) versions < 4.10.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P? Yes. GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P is fixed in 4.10.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-Q7JF-GF43-6X6P? Upgrade
honoto 4.10.3 or later.