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GHSA-735f-pc8j-v9w8

HighCVSS 7.5 / 10
Published Sep 19, 2024·Last modified Feb 4, 2026
Affected Components(0)

No affected components available

Description

Summary

When parsing unknown fields in the Protobuf Java Lite and Full library, a maliciously crafted message can cause a StackOverflow error and lead to a program crash.

Reporter: Alexis Challande, Trail of Bits Ecosystem Security Team ecosystem@trailofbits.com

Affected versions: This issue affects all versions of both the Java full and lite Protobuf runtimes, as well as Protobuf for Kotlin and JRuby, which themselves use the Java Protobuf runtime.

Severity

CVE-2024-7254 High CVSS4.0 Score 8.7 (NOTE: there may be a delay in publication) This is a potential Denial of Service. Parsing nested groups as unknown fields with DiscardUnknownFieldsParser or Java Protobuf Lite parser, or against Protobuf map fields, creates unbounded recursions that can be abused by an attacker.

Proof of Concept

For reproduction details, please refer to the unit tests (Protobuf Java LiteTest and CodedInputStreamTest) that identify the specific inputs that exercise this parsing weakness.

Remediation and Mitigation

We have been working diligently to address this issue and have released a mitigation that is available now. Please update to the latest available versions of the following packages:

  • protobuf-java (3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2)
  • protobuf-javalite (3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2)
  • protobuf-kotlin (3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2)
  • protobuf-kotlin-lite (3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2)
  • com-protobuf [JRuby gem only] (3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2)
Risk Scores
Base Score
7.5

The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without needing physical access. It is easy for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker does not need any special privileges or access rights. No user interaction is needed for the attacker to exploit this vulnerability. The impact is confined to the system where the vulnerability exists. There is a high impact on the availability of the system.

Threat Intelligence
6.9

Exploitation attempts have been detected. Elevated vigilance and prompt remediation are advised.

EPSS
2.77%

The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.

Exploit
Not available

We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.

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