CVE-2026-40895: follow-redirects_project follow-redirects

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-40895 is a high (CVSS 7.5) vulnerability in follow-redirects_project follow-redirects. EPSS estimates a 0.82% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 56.5% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 21-04-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 10-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

follow-redirects is an open source, drop-in replacement for Node's `http` and `https` modules that automatically follows redirects. Prior to 1.16.0, when an HTTP request follows a cross-domain redirect (301/302/307/308), follow-redirects only strips authorization, proxy-authorization, and cookie headers (matched by regex at index.js). Any custom authentication header (e.g., X-API-Key, X-Auth-Token, Api-Key, Token) is forwarded verbatim to the redirect target. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.16.0.

• CWE-200Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized ActorThe product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.
• CWE-212Improper Removal of Sensitive Information Before Storage or TransferThe product stores, transfers, or shares a resource that contains sensitive information, but it does not properly remove that information before the product makes the resource available to unauthorized actors.