Summary
Eclipse Paho Go MQTT may incorrectly encode strings if length exceeds 65535 bytes
In Eclipse Paho Go MQTT v3.1 library (paho.mqtt.golang) versions <=1.5.0 UTF-8 encoded strings, passed into the library, may be incorrectly encoded if their length exceeds 65535 bytes. This may lead to unexpected content in packets sent to the server (for example, part of an MQTT topic may leak into the message body in a PUBLISH packet).
The issue arises because the length of the data passed in was converted from an int64/int32 (depending upon CPU) to an int16 without checks for overflows. The int16 length was then written, followed by the data (e.g. topic). This meant that when the data (e.g. topic) was over 65535 bytes then the amount of data written exceeds what the length field indicates. This could lead to a corrupt packet, or mean that the excess data leaks into another field (e.g. topic leaks into message body).
Impact
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-10543? CVE-2025-10543 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang (go), affecting versions < 1.5.1. It is fixed in 1.5.1.
- Which versions of github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang are affected by CVE-2025-10543? github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang (go) versions < 1.5.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-10543? Yes. CVE-2025-10543 is fixed in 1.5.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2025-10543 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-10543 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-2025-10543 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-2025-10543? Upgrade
github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golangto 1.5.1 or later.