Cap'n Proto WebSocket message can cause crash
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
Cap'n Proto is a data interchange format and capability-based RPC system. In versions 1.0 and 1.0.1, when using the KJ HTTP library with WebSocket compression enabled, a buffer underrun can be caused by a remote peer. The underrun always writes a constant value that is not attacker-controlled, likely resulting in a crash, enabling a remote denial-of-service attack. Most Cap'n Proto and KJ users are unlikely to have this functionality enabled and so unlikely to be affected. Maintainers suspect only the Cloudflare Workers Runtime is affected. If KJ HTTP is used with WebSocket compression enabled, a malicious peer may be able to cause a buffer underrun on a heap-allocated buffer. KJ HTTP is an optional library bundled with Cap'n Proto, but is not directly used by Cap'n Proto. WebSocket compression is disabled by default. It must be enabled via a setting passed to the KJ HTTP library via `HttpClientSettings` or `HttpServerSettings`. The bytes written out-of-bounds are always a specific constant 4-byte string `{ 0x00, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF }`. Because this string is not controlled by the attacker, maintainers believe it is unlikely that remote code execution is possible. However, it cannot be ruled out. This functionality first appeared in Cap'n Proto 1.0. Previous versions are not affected. This issue is fixed in Cap'n Proto 1.0.1.1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capnproto | capnproto | 1.0 to before 1.0.1.1 | 1.0.1.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- capnproto Vendorcapnproto Affected 1.0 to before 1.0.1.1 Fixed in 1.0.1.1 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA capnproto (capnproto) Fixed in 1.0.1.1
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-48230
References
More Capnproto vulnerabilities
- TI-2015-02037 Integer underflow in Sandstorm Cap'n Proto before 0.4.1.1 and 0.5.x before 0.5.1.1 might… CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2015-02036 Integer overflow in layout.c++ in Sandstorm Cap'n Proto before 0.4.1.1 and 0.5.x before… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2017-05503 Sandstorm Cap'n Proto before 0.5.3.1 allows remote crashes related to a compiler… CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2015-02039 Sandstorm Cap'n Proto before 0.4.1.1 and 0.5.x before 0.5.1.2, when an application… CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2015-02038 Sandstorm Cap'n Proto before 0.4.1.1 and 0.5.x before 0.5.1.1 allows remote peers to… CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-24769 Cap'n Proto: Integer overflow in KJ-HTTP chunk size CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.3
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences