Summary
protobuf-cpp and protobuf-python have potential Denial of Service issue
A message parsing and memory management vulnerability in ProtocolBuffer’s C++ and Python implementations can trigger an out of memory (OOM) failure when processing a specially crafted message, which could lead to a denial of service (DoS) on services using the libraries.
Reporter: ClusterFuzz
Affected versions: All versions of C++ Protobufs (including Python) prior to the versions listed below.
Severity & Impact
As scored by google
Medium 5.7 - CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Asscored byt NIST
High 7.5 - CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
A small (~500 KB) malicious payload can be constructed which causes the running service to allocate more than 3GB of RAM.
Proof of Concept
For reproduction details, please refer to the unit test that identifies the specific inputs that exercise this parsing weakness.
Mitigation / Patching
Please update to the latest available versions of the following packages:
- protobuf-cpp (3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 3.21.6)
- protobuf-python (3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 4.21.6)
Impact
CVE-2022-1941 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 4.21.6); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
protobuf to 3.18.3 or later; protobuf to 3.19.5 or later; protobuf to 3.20.2 or later; protobuf to 4.21.6 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-1941? CVE-2022-1941 is a high-severity security vulnerability in protobuf (pip), affecting versions < 3.18.3. It is fixed in 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 4.21.6.
- How severe is CVE-2022-1941? CVE-2022-1941 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 versions of protobuf are affected by CVE-2022-1941? protobuf (pip) versions < 3.18.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-1941? Yes. CVE-2022-1941 is fixed in 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 4.21.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-1941 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-1941 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-2022-1941 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-2022-1941?
- Upgrade
protobufto 3.18.3 or later - Upgrade
protobufto 3.19.5 or later - Upgrade
protobufto 3.20.2 or later - Upgrade
protobufto 4.21.6 or later
- Upgrade