protobuf.js: Process-wide denial of service through unsafe option paths
Platform
nodejs
Component
protobufjs
Summary
protobufjs allowed certain schema option paths to traverse through inherited object properties while applying options. A crafted protobuf schema or JSON descriptor could cause option handling to write to properties on global JavaScript constructors, corrupting process-wide built-in functionality.
Impact
An attacker who can provide or influence protobuf schemas or JSON descriptors may be able to corrupt built-in process state in a way that causes subsequent application code or protobufjs code to fail. This can result in a persistent denial of service for the lifetime of the affected process.
This issue affects applications that parse or load protobuf schemas or descriptors from untrusted sources. Applications that use bundled, generated, or otherwise trusted schemas to decode untrusted protobuf message payloads are not directly affected.
The issue is not known to allow code execution by itself.
Preconditions
- The application must allow an attacker to control or influence a protobuf schema or JSON descriptor.
- The application must parse or load that schema through protobufjs reflection APIs such as
parse,Root.load,Root.loadSync, orRoot.fromJSON. - The crafted input must contain option paths that reach unsafe inherited properties during option processing.
Workarounds
Do not parse or load protobuf schemas or JSON descriptors from untrusted sources with affected versions. If untrusted schemas must be accepted, validate or reject option names containing unsafe property path components before loading them, and run schema processing in an isolated process.
Threat Intelligence
Exploit Status
CVSS Vector
What do these metrics mean?
- Attack Vector
- Network — remotely exploitable over the internet. No physical or local access required. Widest attack surface.
- Attack Complexity
- Low — no special conditions required. Attacker can exploit reliably without depending on rare configurations or timing.
- Privileges Required
- None — unauthenticated. No login or credentials needed to exploit.
- User Interaction
- None — attack is automatic and silent. Victim does nothing: no click, no file open.
- Scope
- Unchanged — impact is limited to the vulnerable component itself.
- Confidentiality
- None — no confidentiality impact. Attacker cannot read protected data.
- Integrity
- None — no integrity impact. Attacker cannot modify data.
- Availability
- High — complete crash or resource exhaustion. Full denial of service.
Affected Software
Weakness Classification (CWE)
Timeline
- Published
How to fix
No official patch available. Check for workarounds or monitor for updates.
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