How Prototype Pollution in React Server Functions Enables Remote Code Execution (CVE‑2025‑55182)
The article analyzes the critical CVE‑2025‑55182 vulnerability affecting React Server Functions in Next.js, detailing how prototype‑pollution during serialization between server components and the client runtime allows attackers to inject __proto__ or constructor.prototype payloads and achieve remote code execution.
Security Boundary of React Server Functions
This analysis focuses on the security limits of the serialization mechanism between modern web frameworks—such as Next.js—and their React Server Components (RSC) when interacting with the client runtime.
1. Vulnerability Basics
CVE Number: CVE-2025-55182
Severity: Critical
Impact Scope: Frameworks that integrate React Server Functions, especially specific versions of Next.js.
Vulnerability Type: Prototype Pollution leading to Remote Code Execution (RCE).
2. Technical Principle Analysis
The core issue lies in React’s handling of data serialization and deserialization between the server and client. The implementation fails to properly validate special properties, allowing malicious payloads to manipulate the prototype chain.
Injection Point: Attackers craft a JSON payload containing __proto__ or constructor.prototype properties and send it to a server function.
Attack Path:
The request includes the malicious __proto__ or constructor.prototype attribute.
React’s server‑side logic parses the input and forwards it to the server function, causing prototype pollution.
Because many core Node.js libraries and global objects rely on the prototype chain, the attacker can alter the behavior of global objects and execute arbitrary code.
Black & White Path
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