Stack overflow in Protocol Buffers Java Lite

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

• google protobufbefore 3.25.5
• google protobuf4.0.0 and later · before 4.27.5
• google protobuf4.28.0 and later · before 4.28.2
• google protobuf-javabefore 3.25.5
• google protobuf-java4.0.0 and later · before 4.27.5
• google protobuf-java4.28.0 and later · before 4.28.2
• google protobuf-javalitebefore 3.25.5
• google protobuf-javalite4.0.0 and later · before 4.27.5
• google protobuf-javalite4.28.0 and later · before 4.28.2
• google protobuf-kotlinbefore 3.25.5
• google protobuf-kotlin4.0.0 and later · before 4.27.5
• google protobuf-kotlin4.28.0 and later · before 4.28.2
• google protobuf-kotlin-litebefore 3.25.5
• google protobuf-kotlin-lite4.0.0 and later · before 4.27.5
• google protobuf-kotlin-lite4.28.0 and later · up to 4.28.2 inclusive
• netapp active iq unified managerall versions
• netapp bluexpall versions
• netapp ontap tools10

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Google). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

• Google google-protobuf [JRuby Gem]

  • before 3.25.5affected
  • before 4.27.5affected
  • before 4.28.2affected

• Google protobuf-java

  • before 3.25.5affected
  • before 4.27.5affected
  • before 4.28.2affected

• Google protobuf-javalite

  • before 3.25.5affected
  • before 4.27.5affected
  • before 4.28.2affected

• Google protobuf-kotlin

  • before 3.25.5affected
  • before 4.27.5affected
  • before 4.28.2affected

• Google protobuf-kotllin-lite

  • before 3.25.5affected
  • before 4.27.5affected
  • before 4.28.2affected

• Google Protocol Buffers

  • before 28.2affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

• CVE-2024-2410Use after free in C++ protobuf
  39Monitor
• CVE-2015-5237protobuf allows remote authenticated attackers to cause a heap-based buffer overflow.
  36Monitor
• CVE-2026-0994Denial of Service in Python Protobuf
  32Monitor
• CVE-2021-22570Nullptr Dereference in Protobuf
  23Monitor

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Root cause

Code that parses nested structures sets no depth or size limit. A small input can turn into a disproportionate processing load.

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

1function expand(node) {2  return node.children.map(expand);3}

1const MAX_DEPTH = 32;2function expand(node, depth = 0) {3  if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) throw new Error("too deep");4  return node.children.map((c) => expand(c, depth + 1));5}

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.