CVE-2026-48511: MessagePack-CSharp ExpandoObject Formatter Can Perform Quadratic Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-2x83-8g95-xh59",
  "modified" : "2026-06-25T19:36:23Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-25T19:36:23Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-48511" ],
  "summary" : "MessagePack-CSharp: ExpandoObject formatter can perform quadratic insertion work on untrusted maps",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\n`ExpandoObjectFormatter.Deserialize` populates `System.Dynamic.ExpandoObject` by calling `IDictionary<string, object>.Add` for each map entry. `ExpandoObject` internally maintains member names in array-like structures, so inserting many distinct keys can require repeated linear scans and array copies.\n\nFor large attacker-controlled maps, this produces quadratic CPU and allocation behavior. The issue is especially surprising because `ExpandoObjectResolver.Options` is configured with `MessagePackSecurity.UntrustedData`, but collision-resistant dictionary comparers cannot protect `ExpandoObject` insertion internals.\n\n## Impact\n\nApplications are affected when they deserialize untrusted MessagePack maps into `ExpandoObject` using `ExpandoObjectResolver` or related resolver options.\n\nA hostile payload containing many distinct keys can cause CPU exhaustion and allocation churn disproportionate to the input size. This can make a server unresponsive or exhaust memory under concurrent request load.\n\nThis is not a hash-collision attack against a configurable dictionary comparer. The super-linear behavior comes from `ExpandoObject`'s insertion model, so `MessagePackSecurity.UntrustedData` does not eliminate the cost.\n\n## Affected components\n\n- Package: `MessagePack`\n- APIs: `ExpandoObjectFormatter.Deserialize`, `ExpandoObjectResolver`\n- Data type: `System.Dynamic.ExpandoObject`\n- Finding ID: `MESSAGEPACKCSHARP-102`\n\n## Patches\n\nFixes are prepared and will be released in coordinated patch versions.\n\nUpgrade guidance:\n\n1. Upgrade `MessagePack` to the patched version for your release line.\n2. Upgrade companion MessagePack packages in the same dependency graph to the coordinated patched versions.\n\nPotential fixes include applying a map-entry count limit for `ExpandoObject` under untrusted-data settings, buffering into a security-aware dictionary before materializing a bounded `ExpandoObject`, or otherwise rejecting maps large enough to trigger quadratic behavior.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nPatching is recommended.\n\nUntil a patched version is available, avoid deserializing untrusted payloads into `ExpandoObject`. Prefer strongly typed DTOs or dictionaries with security-aware comparers and explicit count limits. Enforce request-size and map-entry limits at the transport or application layer.\n\n## Resources\n\n- `MESSAGEPACKCSHARP-102`: `ExpandoObjectFormatter` quadratic insertion behavior\n- CWE-407: Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "NuGet",
      "name" : "MessagePack"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.5.301"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "NuGet",
      "name" : "MessagePack"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/MessagePack-CSharp/MessagePack-CSharp/security/advisories/GHSA-2x83-8g95-xh59"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48511"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/MessagePack-CSharp/MessagePack-CSharp"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-407" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-25T19:36:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-22T22:16:47Z"
  }
}