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TI-2022-01800 Aliases CVE-2022-1941GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf

Out of Memory issue in ProtocolBuffers for cpp and python

Priority MEDIUM 42CWE-1286Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-119 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

A parsing vulnerability for the MessageSet type in the ProtocolBuffers versions prior to and including 3.16.1, 3.17.3, 3.18.2, 3.19.4, 3.20.1 and 3.21.5 for protobuf-cpp, and versions prior to and including 3.16.1, 3.17.3, 3.18.2, 3.19.4, 3.20.1 and 4.21.5 for protobuf-python can lead to out of memory failures. A specially crafted message with multiple key-value per elements creates parsing issues, and can lead to a Denial of Service against services receiving unsanitized input. We recommend upgrading to versions 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 3.21.6 for protobuf-cpp and 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 4.21.6 for protobuf-python. Versions for 3.16 and 3.17 are no longer updated.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.01512 74th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed protobuf (PyPI): 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2 +1Red Hat: 1 advisory

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
Googleprotobuf-cppup to 3.16.1; up to 3.17.3; up to 3.18.2; up to 3.19.4; up to 3.20.1; up to 3.21.5—No fix listedCNA
Googleprotobuf-pythonup to 3.16.1; up to 3.17.3; up to 3.18.2; up to 3.19.4; up to 3.20.1; up to 4.21.5—No fix listedCNA
—protobuf (PyPI)before 3.18.33.18.3Patch availableGHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
—protobuf (PyPI)3.19.0 to before 3.19.53.19.5Patch availableGHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
—protobuf (PyPI)3.20.0 to before 3.20.23.20.2Patch availableGHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
—protobuf (PyPI)4.0.0 to before 4.21.64.21.6Patch availableGHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
  • protobuf-cpp VendorGoogle Affected up to 3.16.1; up to 3.17.3; up to 3.18.2; up to 3.19.4; up to 3.20.1; up to 3.21.5 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
  • protobuf-python VendorGoogle Affected up to 3.16.1; up to 3.17.3; up to 3.18.2; up to 3.19.4; up to 3.20.1; up to 4.21.5 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 3.18.3 Fixed in 3.18.3 Patch available GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 3.19.0 to before 3.19.5 Fixed in 3.19.5 Patch available GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 3.20.0 to before 3.20.2 Fixed in 3.20.2 Patch available GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 4.0.0 to before 4.21.6 Fixed in 4.21.6 Patch available GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf

CPE configurations NVD · 5

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:google:protobuf-cpp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 3.18.3; 3.19.0 to before 3.19.5; 3.20.0 to before 3.20.2; 3.21.0 to before 3.21.6VulnerableGoogle
cpe:2.3:a:google:protobuf-python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 3.18.3; 3.19.0 to before 3.19.5; 3.20.0 to before 3.20.2; 4.0.0 to before 4.21.6VulnerableGoogle
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:*:*:*:*:*:*:*36VulnerableFedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:*37VulnerableFedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*10.0VulnerableDebian
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:protobuf-cpp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 3.18.3; 3.19.0 to before 3.19.5; 3.20.0 to before 3.20.2; 3.21.0 to before 3.21.6 Vulnerable ·Google
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:protobuf-python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 3.18.3; 3.19.0 to before 3.19.5; 3.20.0 to before 3.20.2; 4.0.0 to before 4.21.6 Vulnerable ·Google
  • cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 36 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
  • cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 37 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
  • cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.0 Vulnerable ·Debian

Remediation

  • Fix · GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 3.18.3 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 3.19.5 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 3.20.2 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 4.21.6 Advisory →

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2025:7138 Released 2025-05-13 · Red Hat rating Moderate
    protobuf security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) protobuf-3.14.0-16.el9, protobuf-lite-3.14.0-16.el9, python3-protobuf-3.14.0-16.el9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) protobuf-compiler-3.14.0-16.el9, protobuf-devel-3.14.0-16.el9, protobuf-lite-devel-3.14.0-16.el9

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:7138
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:7138
Not affected: 13 products
  • Red Hat 3scale API Management Platform 2
  • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2
  • Red Hat Ceph Storage 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
  • Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
  • Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.1
  • Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2
  • Red Hat Quay 3
  • Red Hat Satellite 6
  • Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4 for Cloud Providers

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2022-1941
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf

References

Advisory 6

Other 8

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences