GHSA-j49h-6577-5xwq — gmrtd
Fix: gmrtd/gmrtd@54469a9GHSA-j49h-6577-5xwq is a Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in github.com/gmrtd/gmrtd. A fix is available for github.com/gmrtd/gmrtd — see the affected versions and patch details below.
gmrtd ReadFile Vulnerable to Denial of Service via Excessive TLV Length Values
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-j49h-6577-5xwq.
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.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/gmrtd/gmrtdReal-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
Unbounded TLV length in ReadFile can cause Denial of Service
Summary
A Denial of Service vulnerability was identified in ReadFile() where unbounded TLV length values could lead to excessive CPU and memory usage when processing data from a malicious or non-compliant NFC source. This issue has been fixed by enforcing strict limits on acceptable TLV lengths.
Affected Versions
- Affected: All versions prior to v0.17.2
- Fixed in: v0.17.2
Details
ReadFile() processes BER-TLV encoded data returned from an NFC or APDU source via a Transceiver interface. Prior to the fix, the implementation did not enforce an upper bound on long-form TLV length values.
A malicious or non-compliant NFC endpoint could advertise an excessively large length (up to 4 GB), causing the library to:
- Perform a very large number of read iterations
- Allocate excessive memory
- Consume significant CPU resources
- Block execution for an extended period
While such lengths are unrealistic for compliant MRTD or ISO 7816 devices, they can be produced by emulated or malicious sources, or by untrusted inputs routed through higher-level APIs.
Impact
Applications using gmrtd to read data from NFC or APDU sources may experience:
- Excessive CPU usage
- Memory exhaustion
- Application hangs or denial of service
No confidentiality or data integrity impact has been identified.
Resolution
This issue has been resolved in v0.17.2.
The fix introduces:
- Enforcement of maximum allowable TLV lengths
- Upper bounds on the number of read operations required to retrieve a file
- Rejection of APDUs that exceed the requested response length
Recommendation
Users should upgrade to v0.17.2 or later.
No additional mitigation is required once the library is updated.
Credits
Discovered and reported by @ramrunner.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/gmrtd/gmrtd | all versions | 0.17.2go get github.com/gmrtd/gmrtd@v0.17.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/gmrtd/gmrtd, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/gmrtd/gmrtd to 0.17.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-j49h-6577-5xwq 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-j49h-6577-5xwq can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-j49h-6577-5xwq. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-j49h-6577-5xwq in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-j49h-6577-5xwq across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.