Summary
Oj: Stack Buffer Overflow in Oj.dump via Large Indent
Oj.dump is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when a large :indent value is provided by the developer. fill_indent in dump.h calls memset(indent_str, ' ', (size_t)opts->indent) without validating the size. When opts->indent is set to INT_MAX (2,147,483,647), the (size_t) cast preserves the large value and memset writes 2 GB into the stack-allocated out buffer (4,184 bytes), corrupting the stack and crashing the process.
Version
- Software: oj gem
- Affected: all versions with
ext/oj/dump.h - Latest tested: 3.17.1 (confirmed present)
Details
ext/oj/dump.h, line 77:
static void fill_indent(Out out, int depth) {
if (0 < out->opts->indent) {
size_t len = (size_t)(out->opts->indent * depth);
// ...
memset(out->buf + ..., ' ', len); // len = 2147483647 * depth
The indent option is accepted as a plain Ruby integer and stored as int without range validation. Multiplying by depth can produce a value larger than any stack or heap buffer.
ASAN report:
==69820==ERROR: AddressSanitizer: stack-buffer-overflow on address 0x7fd1fc201278
WRITE of size 2147483647 at 0x7fd1fc201278 thread T0
#0 memset
#1 fill_indent /ext/oj/dump.h:77
#2 dump_array /ext/oj/dump_compat.c:165
#3 oj_dump_obj_to_json_using_params /ext/oj/dump.c:818
#4 dump_body /ext/oj/oj.c:1429
#5 dump /ext/oj/oj.c:1480
Address is in stack of thread T0 at offset 4728 in frame:
#0 dump /ext/oj/oj.c:1453
[544, 4728) 'out' <== Memory access at offset 4728 overflows this variable
Reproduce
require "oj"
obj = [0]
Oj.dump(obj, mode: :compat, indent: 2_147_483_647)
Workaround
The develop should not use extreme indents and should not offer the option for users to dump Ruby data with unlimited indentation size.
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-54502? CVE-2026-54502 is a high-severity security vulnerability in oj (rubygems), affecting versions < 3.17.2. It is fixed in 3.17.3.
- Which versions of oj are affected by CVE-2026-54502? oj (rubygems) versions < 3.17.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54502? Yes. CVE-2026-54502 is fixed in 3.17.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-54502 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54502 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-2026-54502 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-2026-54502? Upgrade
ojto 3.17.3 or later.