Elixir protobuf is a pure Elixir implementation of Google Protobuf. From 0.8.0 until 0.16.1, services that decode attacker-controlled protobuf bytes with Protobuf.Decoder can be taken offline when the schema contains a self-referential or cyclic message type. In lib/protobuf/decoder.ex, Protobuf.Decoder.value_for_field/3 handles an embedded?: true field by recursively entering the decode / build_message / handle_value / value_for_field call chain without enforcing a nesting-depth limit. Deeply nested embedded fields retain non-tail recursive frames, allowing a comparatively small request to consume substantial CPU and memory, pin a BEAM scheduler, and exhaust the node. This issue is fixed in version 0.16.1.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||
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| elixir-protobuf | protobuf | affected |
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Project Subscriptions
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Advisories
| Source | ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
 Github GHSA |
GHSA-rv48-qqj5-crxg | Protobuf: Unbounded recursion depth in embedded-message decoding |
Fixes
Solution
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Workaround
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References
History
Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Elixir protobuf is a pure Elixir implementation of Google Protobuf. From 0.8.0 until 0.16.1, services that decode attacker-controlled protobuf bytes with Protobuf.Decoder can be taken offline when the schema contains a self-referential or cyclic message type. In lib/protobuf/decoder.ex, Protobuf.Decoder.value_for_field/3 handles an embedded?: true field by recursively entering the decode / build_message / handle_value / value_for_field call chain without enforcing a nesting-depth limit. Deeply nested embedded fields retain non-tail recursive frames, allowing a comparatively small request to consume substantial CPU and memory, pin a BEAM scheduler, and exhaust the node. This issue is fixed in version 0.16.1. | |
| Title | Elixir protobuf: Unbounded recursion depth in embedded-message decoding | |
| Weaknesses | CWE-674 | |
| References |
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| Metrics |
cvssV4_0
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Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: GitHub_M
Published:
Updated: 2026-09-17T18:19:25.334Z
Reserved: 2026-06-15T15:30:40.318Z
Link: CVE-2026-54451
Vulnrichment
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NVD
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Redhat
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OpenCVE Enrichment
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Weaknesses