GHSA-wrvw-hg22-4m67
HIGHA potential Denial of Service issue in protobuf-java
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.
Blast Radius
com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin☕com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin💎google-protobufReal-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 was discovered in the parsing procedure for binary data.
Reporter: OSS-Fuzz
Affected versions: All versions of Java Protobufs (including Kotlin and JRuby) prior to the versions listed below. Protobuf "javalite" users (typically Android) are not affected.
Severity
CVE-2021-22569 High - CVSS Score: 7.5, An implementation weakness in how unknown fields are parsed in Java. A small (~800 KB) malicious payload can occupy the parser for several minutes by creating large numbers of short-lived objects that cause frequent, repeated GC pauses.
Proof of Concept
For reproduction details, please refer to the oss-fuzz issue that identifies the specific inputs that exercise this parsing weakness.
Remediation and Mitigation
Please update to the latest available versions of the following packages:
- protobuf-java (3.16.1, 3.18.2, 3.19.2)
- protobuf-kotlin (3.18.2, 3.19.2)
- google-protobuf [JRuby gem only] (3.19.2)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | all versions | 3.16.1 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | ≥ 3.18.0&&< 3.18.2 | 3.18.2 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java | ≥ 3.19.0&&< 3.19.2 | 3.19.2 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin | ≥ 3.18.0&&< 3.18.2 | 3.18.2 |
| ☕Maven | com.google.protobuf:protobuf-kotlin | ≥ 3.19.0&&< 3.19.2 | 3.19.2 |
| 💎RubyGems | google-protobuf | all versions | 3.19.2 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
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. 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 com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java to 3.16.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-wrvw-hg22-4m67 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 GHSA-wrvw-hg22-4m67 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 GHSA-wrvw-hg22-4m67. 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-wrvw-hg22-4m67 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-wrvw-hg22-4m67 across Maven, RubyGems dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.