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TI-2025-04079 Aliases CVE-2025-4565GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7

Unbounded recursion in Python Protobuf

Priority MEDIUM 41CWE-674Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
Present
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 3 fixed, 12 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-674.

Summary

Any project that uses Protobuf Pure-Python backend to parse untrusted Protocol Buffers data containing an arbitrary number of recursive groups, recursive messages or a series of SGROUP tags can be corrupted by exceeding the Python recursion limit. This can result in a Denial of service by crashing the application with a RecursionError. We recommend upgrading to version =>6.31.1 or beyond commit 17838beda2943d08b8a9d4df5b68f5f04f26d901

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00255 17th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Python-Protobuf (protocolbuffers): 4.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1protobuf (PyPI): 4.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1Red Hat: 3 advisoriesRed Hat: 3 fixed, 12 without a fix

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
protocolbuffersPython-Protobufbefore 4.25.8; before 5.29.5; before 6.31.14.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1Patch availableCNA
protocolbuffersPython-Protobufbefore 4.25.8; before 5.29.5; before 6.31.14.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1Patch availableCNA
—protobuf (PyPI)before 4.25.84.25.8Patch availableGHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7
—protobuf (PyPI)5.26.0rc1 to before 5.29.55.29.5Patch availableGHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7
—protobuf (PyPI)6.30.0rc1 to before 6.31.16.31.1Patch availableGHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7
  • Python-Protobuf Vendorprotocolbuffers Affected before 4.25.8; before 5.29.5; before 6.31.1 Fixed in 4.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1 Patch available CNA
  • Python-Protobuf Vendorprotocolbuffers Affected before 4.25.8; before 5.29.5; before 6.31.1 Fixed in 4.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1 Patch available CNA
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 4.25.8 Fixed in 4.25.8 Patch available GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 5.26.0rc1 to before 5.29.5 Fixed in 5.29.5 Patch available GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7
  • protobuf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 6.30.0rc1 to before 6.31.1 Fixed in 6.31.1 Patch available GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:google:protobuf-python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 4.25.8; 5.26.0 to before 5.29.5; 6.30.0 to before 6.31.1VulnerableGoogle
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:protobuf-python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 4.25.8; 5.26.0 to before 5.29.5; 6.30.0 to before 6.31.1 Vulnerable ·Google

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Python-Protobuf (protocolbuffers) Fixed in 4.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1
  • Fix · CNA Python-Protobuf (protocolbuffers) Fixed in 4.25.8, 5.29.5, 6.31.1
  • Fix · GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7 protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 4.25.8 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7 protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 5.29.5 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7 protobuf (PyPI) Fixed in 6.31.1 Advisory →

Red Hat 3 advisories

  • RHSA-2026:3960 Released 2026-03-06 · Red Hat rating Important
    Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 Container Release Update
    • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/de-minimal-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/de-supported-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/ee-minimal-rhel9 +9
  • RHSA-2026:1249 Released 2026-01-26 · Red Hat rating Important
    Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 Product Security and Bug Fix Update
    • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 10 receptor-1.6.3-2.el10ap
    • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9 automation-controller-venv-tower-4.7.8-1.el9ap, python3.11-django-4.2.27-2.el9ap, python3.11-protobuf-4.25.8-1.el9ap +2
  • RHSA-2025:10773 Released 2025-07-15 · Red Hat rating Moderate
    OpenShift Container Platform 4.19.4 security and extras update
    • Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.19 openshift4/ose-dpu-intel-ipu-vsp-rhel9

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

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

ProductStatusPlan or fix
OpenShift Service Mesh 3AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat AI Inference ServerAffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI)AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI)AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4AffectedNo fix planned: Will not fix
Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Quay 3AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6Fixed RHSA-2026:3960
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9Fixed RHSA-2026:1249
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.19Fixed RHSA-2025:10773
Not affected: 4 products
  • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6
  • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 10
  • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9
  • Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.19

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-4565
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8qvm-5x2c-j2w7

References

Patch 1

Advisory 1

Other 6

  • TI-2026-05625 Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability exists in the Protobuf PHP library during the parsing of untrusted input CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.1

Sources

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