GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 — protobuf-java
MEDIUMGHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.7) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java. A fix is available for com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java — see the affected versions and patch details below.
protobuf-java has a potential Denial of Service issue
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
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.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-javalite☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin-lite☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin+12 moreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Summary
A potential Denial of Service issue in protobuf-java core and lite was discovered in the parsing procedure for binary and text format data. Input streams containing multiple instances of non-repeated embedded messages with repeated or unknown fields causes objects to be converted back-n-forth between mutable and immutable forms, resulting in potentially long garbage collection pauses.
Reporter: OSS Fuzz
Affected versions: This issue affects both the Java full and lite Protobuf runtimes, as well as Protobuf for Kotlin and JRuby, which themselves use the Java Protobuf runtime.
Severity
CVE-2022-3171 Medium - CVSS Score: 5.7 (NOTE: there may be a delay in publication)
Remediation and Mitigation
Please update to the latest available versions of the following packages:
protobuf-java (3.21.7, 3.20.3, 3.19.6, 3.16.3) protobuf-javalite (3.21.7, 3.20.3, 3.19.6, 3.16.3) protobuf-kotlin (3.21.7, 3.20.3, 3.19.6, 3.16.3) protobuf-kotlin-lite (3.21.7, 3.20.3, 3.19.6, 3.16.3) google-protobuf [JRuby gem only] (3.21.7, 3.20.3, 3.19.6)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | ≥ 3.21.0-rc-1&&< 3.21.7 | 3.21.7com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:3.21.7 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin | ≥ 3.21.0-rc-1&&< 3.21.7 | 3.21.7com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin:3.21.7 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-javalite | ≥ 3.21.0-rc-1&&< 3.21.7 | 3.21.7com.google.protobuf:protobuf-javalite:3.21.7 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin-lite | ≥ 3.21.0-rc-1&&< 3.21.7 | 3.21.7com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin-lite:3.21.7 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | ≥ 3.20.0-rc-1&&< 3.20.3 | 3.20.3com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:3.20.3 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | ≥ 3.17.0-rc-1&&< 3.19.6 | 3.19.6com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:3.19.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java to 3.21.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat AMQ Streams 2.7.0 | see advisory | RHSA-2024:3527 |
| Red Hat build of Quarkus 2.13.5 | see advisory | RHSA-2022:9023 |
| Red Hat build of Quarkus 2.7.7 | protobuf-java | RHSA-2023:1006 |
| RHINT Debezium 1.9.7 | protobuf-java | RHSA-2022:7896 |
| RHPAM 7.13.4 async | protobuf-java | RHSA-2023:4983 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-h4h5-3hr4-j3g2 across Maven, RubyGems dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.