protobuf-java has potential Denial of Service issue
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)
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | < 3.25.5, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.27.5, >= 4.28.0-RC1, < 4.28.2 | 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2 |
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-javalite | < 3.25.5, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.27.5, >= 4.28.0-RC1, < 4.28.2 | 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2 |
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin | < 3.25.5, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.27.5, >= 4.28.0-RC1, < 4.28.2 | 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2 |
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin-lite | < 3.25.5, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.27.5, >= 4.28.0-RC1, < 4.28.2 | 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2 |
References
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-735f-pc8j-v9w8
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-7254
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/4728531c162f2f9e8c2ca1add713cfee2db6be3b
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/850fcce9176e2c9070614dab53537760498c926b
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/9a5f5fe752a20cbac2e722b06949ac985abdd534
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/ac9fb5b4c71b0dd80985b27684e265d1f03abf46
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/cc8b3483a5584b3301e3d43d17eb59704857ffaa
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/d6c82fc55a76481c676f541a255571e8950bb8c3
- https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf
- https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/google-protobuf/CVE-2024-7254.yml
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20241213-0010
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250418-0006
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-20, CWE-400, CWE-787- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java, com.google.protobuf:protobuf-javalite, com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin- Disclosed
- 19.09.2024
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:20
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-735f-pc8j-v9w8 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 3
- First → latest
- 01.2022 09.2024
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 2
- Medium 1
Disclosures per year
- 2022: 2
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
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