{"id":"CVE-2026-54451","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"Elixir protobuf: Unbounded recursion depth in embedded-message decoding","description":"Elixir protobuf is a pure Elixir implementation of Google Protobuf. From 0.8.0 until 0.16.1, services that decode attacker-controlled protobuf bytes with Protobuf.Decoder can be taken offline when the schema contains a self-referential or cyclic message type. In lib/protobuf/decoder.ex, Protobuf.Decoder.value_for_field/3 handles an embedded?: true field by recursively entering the decode / build_message / handle_value / value_for_field call chain without enforcing a nesting-depth limit. Deeply nested embedded fields retain non-tail recursive frames, allowing a comparatively small request to consume substantial CPU and memory, pin a BEAM scheduler, and exhaust the node. This issue is fixed in version 0.16.1.","publishedAt":"2026-09-17T18:19:25.334Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-21T21:03:54.370Z","severity":{"score":8.2,"label":"High","version":"4.0","vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","source":"GitHub_M"},"assigner":"GitHub_M","products":["elixir-protobuf protobuf"],"affected":[{"vendor":"elixir-protobuf","product":"protobuf","versions":[{"version":">= 0.8.0, < 0.16.1","status":"affected"}]}],"references":["https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxg","https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/352d1769a0ef575a8d18c3f9620609efdb73e2bc","https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/b8efa97790eece3d2d0e8e7c31a45ed409fe5338","https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/releases/tag/v0.16.1"],"weaknesses":["CWE-674"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:12:24.861Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/54xxx/CVE-2026-54451.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-54451","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-09-17T18:19:25.334Z","dateUpdated":"2026-09-21T21:03:54.370Z","assignerShortName":"GitHub_M","assignerOrgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateReserved":"2026-06-15T15:30:40.318Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"Elixir protobuf: Unbounded recursion depth in embedded-message decoding","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"Elixir protobuf is a pure Elixir implementation of Google Protobuf. From 0.8.0 until 0.16.1, services that decode attacker-controlled protobuf bytes with Protobuf.Decoder can be taken offline when the schema contains a self-referential or cyclic message type. In lib/protobuf/decoder.ex, Protobuf.Decoder.value_for_field/3 handles an embedded?: true field by recursively entering the decode / build_message / handle_value / value_for_field call chain without enforcing a nesting-depth limit. Deeply nested embedded fields retain non-tail recursive frames, allowing a comparatively small request to consume substantial CPU and memory, pin a BEAM scheduler, and exhaust the node. This issue is fixed in version 0.16.1."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"elixir-protobuf","product":"protobuf","versions":[{"version":">= 0.8.0, < 0.16.1","status":"affected"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxg","name":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxg","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM"]},{"url":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/352d1769a0ef575a8d18c3f9620609efdb73e2bc","name":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/352d1769a0ef575a8d18c3f9620609efdb73e2bc","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]},{"url":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/b8efa97790eece3d2d0e8e7c31a45ed409fe5338","name":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/b8efa97790eece3d2d0e8e7c31a45ed409fe5338","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]},{"url":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/releases/tag/v0.16.1","name":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/releases/tag/v0.16.1","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV4_0":{"attackVector":"NETWORK","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"PRESENT","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","vulnIntegrityImpact":"NONE","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"HIGH","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","baseScore":8.2,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","vectorString":"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","version":"4.0"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-674","lang":"en","description":"CWE-674: Uncontrolled Recursion","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"GitHub_M","orgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateUpdated":"2026-09-17T18:19:25.334Z"},"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxg","discovery":"UNKNOWN"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxg","tags":["exploit"]}],"metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-09-21T21:03:29.889055Z","id":"CVE-2026-54451","options":[{"Exploitation":"poc"},{"Automatable":"yes"},{"Technical Impact":"partial"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-09-21T21:03:54.370Z"}}]}}}