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CVE-2026-45740

MEDIUM

protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.5.8 and 8.2.0, protobufjs could recurse without a depth limit while expanding nested JSON descriptors…

Published
May 13, 2026
Updated
May 13, 2026
Affected
0 pkgs
Patched
None yet
Exploits
None indexed

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗
0.3%probability of exploitation in next 30 days
Lower Risk18th percentile0.00%
0.00%0.25%0.51%0.76%0.1%0.3%0.3%Jun 26Jul 26Jul 26

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.5.8 and 8.2.0, protobufjs could recurse without a depth limit while expanding nested JSON descriptors through Root.fromJSON() and Namespace.addJSON(). A crafted JSON descriptor with deeply nested namespace definitions could cause the JavaScript call stack to be exhausted during descriptor loading. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.8 and 8.2.0.

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability
  1. Detect

    Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for the affected component. 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.

  2. Remediation status

    No patched version of the affected component has shipped for CVE-2026-45740 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.

  3. Mitigate without a patch

    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.

  4. How O3 protects you

    O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-45740 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-2026-45740. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.5.8 and 8.2.0, protobufjs could recurse without a depth limit while expanding nested JSON descriptors through Root.fromJSON() and Namespace.addJSON(). A crafted JSON descriptor with deeply nested namespace definitions could cause the JavaScript call stack to be exhausted during descriptor loading. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.8 and 8.2.0.
O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2026-45740 in your dependencies?

O3 detects CVE-2026-45740 across dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

CVE-2026-45740: : Uncontrolled Recursion (Medium 5.3) | O3 Security