The vulnerability exists in the deepMerge function located in packages/nocodb/src/utils/dataUtils.ts. This function fails to sanitize input keys, making it susceptible to prototype pollution. The security advisory and the commit patch confirm this. The patch, found in commit a0fafd29186a38fbc855a9d8491568c50d5274dd, introduces a check for reserved keys like __proto__, constructor, and prototype to prevent the pollution. The vulnerability is exposed through the testConnection method in the UtilsController (located in packages/nocodb/src/controllers/utils.controller.ts), which receives user input and passes it to the vulnerable deepMerge function. Therefore, both deepMerge and UtilsController.testConnection are identified as key functions in the exploitation of this vulnerability.