CVE-2026-59877 — protobufjs: Denial of Service via infinite loop in .proto option parsing
protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.6.5 and 8.6.6, protobufjs parsed option names by advancing through schema tokens until reaching an = token without checking for end of input, so a crafted .proto schema that opens an option declaration and ends prematurely can cause parse, Root.load, or Root.loadSync to loop indefinitely. This issue is fixed in versions 7.6.5 and 8.6.6.
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
- 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)
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented mitigation — 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 (Protobufjs Protobuf.js, Protobufjs Project Protobufjs).
- 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 (denial of service), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protobufjs | Protobuf.js | version >= 7.5.0, < 7.6.5version >= 8.0.0, < 8.6.6 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Protobufjs Project | Protobufjs | < 7.6.5≥ 8.0.0 and < 8.6.6 | 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 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 3.9 | 1.4 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | 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: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
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).
- Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · protobufjs/protobuf.js
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
6 on the record
- github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/security/advisories/GHSA-j3f2-48v5-ccww
- github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/pull/2352
- github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/commit/10fba6d54815ceecca8a06b9a6db490c8f5d221
- github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/commit/fa5c73add738ceb471e74da8cc2f3727c3d0a69
- github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/releases/tag/protobufjs-v7.6.5
- github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/releases/tag/protobufjs-v8.6.6
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-59876 protobufjs: Text Format string map parsing can mutate returned map object prototype Jul 8, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-54269 protobufjs: Schema-derived names can shadow runtime-significant properties Jun 22, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-54270 protobufjs: Memory amplification from preserved unknown fields in binary decode Jun 22, 2026
- High CVE-2026-48712 protobufjs: Denial of service through unbounded Any expansion during JSON conversion Jun 22, 2026
- High CVE-2026-45740 protobufjs: Denial of Service via unbounded recursive JSON descriptor expansion May 13, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-44292 protobufjs: Prototype injection in generated message constructors May 13, 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 FIRST EPSS score.
- 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-2026-59877 is "protobufjs: Denial of Service via infinite loop in .proto option parsing", rated High. It affects Protobuf.js (Protobufjs); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. 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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