What is CVE-2015-5237?

CVE-2015-5237 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Google.Protobuf (nuget), affecting versions < 3.4.0. It is fixed in 3.4.0, 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2. A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.

How severe is CVE-2015-5237?

CVE-2015-5237 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-5237?

Google.Protobuf (nuget) versions 0.0.0, < 3.4.0.

Is there a fix for CVE-2015-5237?

Yes. CVE-2015-5237 is fixed in 3.4.0, 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2015-5237 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2015-5237 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2015-5237 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2015-5237 in Google.Protobuf

Q: How severe is CVE-2015-5237?

CVE-2015-5237 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-5237?

Google.Protobuf (nuget) versions 0.0.0, < 3.4.0.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2015-5237?

Yes. CVE-2015-5237 is fixed in 3.4.0, 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2015-5237 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2015-5237 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2015-5237 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2015-5237?

Upgrade: Google.Protobuf to 3.4.0 or later, google/protobuf to 3.4.0 or later, protobuf to 3.4.0 or later, github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf to 3.4.0 or later, github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf to 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2 or later.

Summary

protobuf susceptible to buffer overflow

protobuf allows remote authenticated attackers to cause a heap-based buffer overflow.

Impact

A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or arbitrary code execution.

CVE-2015-5237 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.4.0, 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

Google.Protobuf (< 3.4.0) google/protobuf (< 3.4.0) protobuf (< 3.4.0) github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf (> 0.0.0, < 3.4.0) github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf (< 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2)

Security releases

Google.Protobuf → 3.4.0 (nuget) google/protobuf → 3.4.0 (composer) protobuf → 3.4.0 (pip) github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf → 3.4.0 (go) github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf → 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2 (go)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

Google.Protobuf to 3.4.0 or later; google/protobuf to 3.4.0 or later; protobuf to 3.4.0 or later; github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf to 3.4.0 or later; github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf to 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-5237? CVE-2015-5237 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Google.Protobuf (nuget), affecting versions < 3.4.0. It is fixed in 3.4.0, 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2. A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.
How severe is CVE-2015-5237? CVE-2015-5237 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-5237?
- Google.Protobuf (nuget) (versions < 3.4.0)
- google/protobuf (composer) (versions < 3.4.0)
- protobuf (pip) (versions < 3.4.0)
- github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf (go) (versions > 0.0.0, < 3.4.0)
Is there a fix for CVE-2015-5237? Yes. CVE-2015-5237 is fixed in 3.4.0, 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2015-5237 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2015-5237 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2015-5237 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2015-5237?
- Upgrade Google.Protobuf to 3.4.0 or later
- Upgrade google/protobuf to 3.4.0 or later
- Upgrade protobuf to 3.4.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf to 3.4.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf to 0.0.0-20170815233912-80a37e0782d2 or later