CVE-2024-37298

Potential memory exhaustion attack due to sparse slice deserialization

package main

import (
	"fmt"

	"github.com/gorilla/schema"
)

func main() {
	dec := schema.NewDecoder()
	var result struct {
		Arr []struct{ Val int }
	}
	if err := dec.Decode(&result, map[string][]string{"arr.1000000000.Val": {"1"}}); err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	fmt.Printf("%#+v\n", result)
}

Any use of schema.Decoder.Decode() on a struct with arrays of other structs could be vulnerable to this memory exhaustion vulnerability. There seems to be no possible solution that a developer using this library can do to disable this behaviour without fixing it in this project, so all uses of Decode that fall under this umbrella are affected. A fix that doesn't require a major change may also be harder to find, since it could break compatibility with some other intended use-cases.

The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap. Typical impact: resource exhaustion leading to denial of service.

CVE-2024-37298 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 (1.4.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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1. What is CVE-2024-37298? CVE-2024-37298 is a high-severity allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability in github.com/gorilla/schema (go), affecting versions < 1.4.1. It is fixed in 1.4.1. The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-37298? CVE-2024-37298 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.
3. Which versions of github.com/gorilla/schema are affected by CVE-2024-37298? github.com/gorilla/schema (go) versions < 1.4.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-37298? Yes. CVE-2024-37298 is fixed in 1.4.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-37298 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-37298 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-37298 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2024-37298? Upgrade github.com/gorilla/schema to 1.4.1 or later.