CVE-2026-32874 — UltraJSON has a Memory Leak parsing large integers allows DoS
UltraJSON is a fast JSON encoder and decoder written in pure C with bindings for Python 3.7+. Versions 5.4.0 through 5.11.0 contain an accumulating memory leak in JSON parsing large (outside of the range [-2^63, 2^64 - 1]) integers. The leaked memory is a copy of the string form of the integer plus an additional NULL byte. The leak occurs irrespective of whether the integer parses successfully or is rejected due to having more than sys.get_int_max_str_digits() digits, meaning that any sized leak per malicious JSON can be achieved provided that there is no limit on the overall size of the payload. Any service that calls ujson.load()/ujson.loads()/ujson.decode() on untrusted inputs is affected and vulnerable to denial of service attacks. This issue has been fixed in version 5.12.0.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.7% (30-day exploitation probability)+8
- Technical severity (high)+6
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Ultrajson Ultrajson, Ultrajson Project Ultrajson).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrajson | Ultrajson | version >= 5.4.0, < 5.12.0 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Ultrajson Project | Ultrajson | ≥ 5.4.0 and < 5.12.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.68%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · ultrajson/ultrajson
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
6 on the record
- github.com/ultrajson/ultrajson/security/advisories/GHSA-wgvc-ghv9-3pmm
- github.com/ultrajson/ultrajson/commit/4baeb950df780092bd3c89fc702a868e99a3a1d2
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-32874.json
- github.com/ultrajson/ultrajson/releases/tag/5.12.0
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-32874
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-54911 UltraJSON: Malformed/Truncated UTF-8 Accepted and Silently Rewritten in ujson.dumps() Jun 22, 2026
- High CVE-2026-44660 UltraJSON: Memory Leak in ujson.dump() on Write Failure May 27, 2026
- High CVE-2026-32875 UltraJSON has an integer overflow handling large indent leads to buffer overflow or infinite loop Mar 19, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-32874 is "UltraJSON has a Memory Leak parsing large integers allows DoS", rated High. It affects Ultrajson (Ultrajson); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.68% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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