CVE-2023-2253
MEDIUMCVE-2023-2253 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.5) CWE-475 vulnerability in github.com/docker/distribution. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2023-2253 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
distribution catalog API endpoint can lead to OOM via malicious user input
Real-World Exposure
github.com/docker/distributionReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
A flaw was found in the /v2/_catalog endpoint in distribution/distribution, which accepts a parameter to control the maximum number of records returned (query string: n). This vulnerability allows a malicious user to submit an unreasonably large value for n, causing the allocation of a massive string array, possibly causing a denial of service through excessive use of memory.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/docker/distribution | all versions | 2.8.2-beta.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/docker/distribution. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update github.com/docker/distribution to 2.8.2-beta.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-2253 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2023-2253 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2023-2253. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-2253 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-2253 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.