# CVE-2026-111755: follow-redirects sensitiveHeaders regex escaping can expose credential headers

> Attackers can steal sensitive credential headers during redirects if header names contain regex metacharacters, affecting Node.js applications using follow-redirects.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-111755, ECHO-6152-48e0-46fe, GHSA-8r9p-f939-6h3c, MINI-334x-px3m-5rc5, MINI-fx8c-23rx-fv92, MINI-h994-5w6g-89fr, MINI-j23c-qj5f-9xmq, MINI-vjc7-qmw5-gfvj, MINI-vxxx-qc58-33fc, MINI-wgm7-wx67-8rm8, ROOT-APP-NPM-CVE-2026-111755, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-111755

## What is CVE-2026-111755?

CVE-2026-111755 is a high-severity vulnerability in follow-redirects, published on 19 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

follow-redirects is a Node.js HTTP and HTTPS client wrapper that automatically follows redirects. From 1.16.0 until 1.16.1, escapeRegex leaves valid header-name metacharacters unescaped in sensitiveHeaders. When an application declares a sensitive header whose name contains ^ or | and follows a cross-origin or HTTPS-to-HTTP redirect, unescaped regular-expression metacharacters prevent the generated filter from matching the declared header name, and the credential header is forwarded to an attacker-controlled redirect target. This issue is fixed in version 1.16.1.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor), CWE-185 (Incorrect Regular Expression)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-111755?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including follow-redirects.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `follow-redirects` | npm | From 1.16.0 | 1.16.1 |
| `follow-redirects` | npm | From 1.16.0 | 1.16.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-111755?

Upgrade follow-redirects to 1.16.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-111755 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-111755 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-111755 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-111755 is a high-severity vulnerability in follow-redirects, published on 19 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-111755 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- follow-redirects (npm): affected from 1.16.0; fixed in 1.16.1
- follow-redirects (npm): affected from 1.16.0; fixed in 1.16.1

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-111755/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-111755/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-111755
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-111755
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-111755

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-111755/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.