CVE-2026-54451Elixir protobuf: Unbounded recursion depth in embedded-message decoding
Updated under an hour ago ()
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It affects elixir-protobuf protobuf. Add what you run to find out whether that includes you.
No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.
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Elixir protobuf is a pure Elixir implementation of Google Protobuf. From 0.8.0 until 0.16.1, services that decode attacker-controlled protobuf bytes with Protobuf.Decoder can be taken offline when the schema contains a self-referential or cyclic message type. In lib/protobuf/decoder.ex, Protobuf.Decoder.value_for_field/3 handles an embedded?: true field by recursively entering the decode / build_message / handle_value / value_for_field call chain without enforcing a nesting-depth limit. Deeply nested embedded fields retain non-tail recursive frames, allowing a comparatively small request to consume substantial CPU and memory, pin a BEAM scheduler, and exhaust the node. This issue is fixed in version 0.16.1.
- CVSS
- 8.2 HIGH (v4.0, CNA)CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-674
- Known exploited
- Not in CISA's KEV catalog
- EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)
- Not loaded for this CVE
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
- NVD analysis
- Awaiting Analysis
- Record last updated
- Sep 21, 2026
- First seen by InfoSec Signals
- Oct 9, 2026
Affected products
elixir-protobuf protobuf elixir_protobuf:protobuf (from the name) | from 0.8.0, < 0.16.1 | CNA record |
References
- https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxgx-refsource-confirm
- https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/352d1769a0ef575a8d18c3f9620609efdb73e2bcx-refsource-misc
- https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/commit/b8efa97790eece3d2d0e8e7c31a45ed409fe5338x-refsource-misc
- https://github.com/elixir-protobuf/protobuf/releases/tag/v0.16.1x-refsource-misc
The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry
The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.