Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-44289 is a denial-of-service flaw in protobuf.js. A malicious protobuf message can make vulnerable decoders recurse until the JavaScript call stack fails, disrupting service availability. The issue is fixed in protobuf.js 7.5.6 and 8.0.2.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority availability risk for services that parse protobuf from untrusted sources. It does not indicate data theft or privilege escalation, but exposed services could be disrupted until patched.
Technical view
Before 7.5.6 and 8.0.2, protobufjs lacked a recursion depth limit while decoding nested protobuf data. The issue affects skipping unknown group fields and generated decoding of nested message fields. Crafted protobuf binary input can exhaust the JavaScript call stack, causing high availability impact without authentication or user interaction.
Likely exposure
Node.js or JavaScript applications using protobuf.js versions below 7.5.6, or 8.0.0 through 8.0.1, are most exposed when they decode untrusted or externally supplied protobuf data.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated exploitation with availability impact only. The provided sources do not state active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV.
Researcher notes
Focus review on decode paths accepting nested messages or unknown group fields. Evidence supports stack exhaustion through unbounded recursion, not confidentiality or integrity compromise. Do not assume affected downstream products unless dependency evidence confirms vulnerable protobuf.js versions.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade protobuf.js to 7.5.6 or 8.0.2 where compatible.
- Refresh lockfiles and rebuild artifacts to remove vulnerable transitive copies.
- Prioritize services that decode external, partner, or customer-supplied protobuf payloads.
- If upgrades are blocked, check vendor and downstream package guidance for supported temporary controls.
Validation and detection
- Inventory direct and transitive protobuf.js versions across repositories, lockfiles, and deployed artifacts.
- Confirm no deployed package resolves to versions below 7.5.6 or 8.0.0 through 8.0.1.
- Identify routes, queues, or workers that decode protobuf input from untrusted sources.
- After upgrading, run regression tests covering protobuf decoding and service error handling.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-606: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCWE-674: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-44289 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H3.93.6GitHub_MCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H3.93.6redhat-SADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Made public.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Reported to Red Hat.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
- 2026-05-13T16:05:16.500Z: Reported to Red Hat.
- 2026-05-13T14:39:09.791Z: Made public.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/security/advisories/GHSA-685m-2w69-288qCVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-44289CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2477130CVE reference, redhat-SADP · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-44289.jsonCVE reference, redhat-SADP · x_sadp-csaf-vex
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Unchecked Input for Loop Condition
Unchecked Input for Loop Condition represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Uncontrolled Recursion
Uncontrolled Recursion represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.