CVE-2026-54901: Oj Use-After-Free Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vwm4-62gf-x745
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CWE-416
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-54901 is a HIGH use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416: Use After Free) affecting Oj libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves use-after-free in oj::parser array_class/hash_class gc marking. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.17.3.

CVE-2026-54901 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-54901
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vwm4-62gf-x745
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-416: Use After Free
Affected Product Oj
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-54901

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Oj dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

oj fixed: 3.17.3 
Upgrade oj to 3.17.3
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for oj

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-54901, inspect your project dependencies for Oj:

inspect dependencies for oj

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Oj in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.17.3), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-416: Use After Free, where the product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. at some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer. In Oj, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary `Oj::Parser` in usual mode does not mark `array_class` and `hash_class` references during garbage collection. If GC runs after the class is assigned but before a parse, the class object is reclaimed, leaving the parser holding a dangling VALUE. The subsequent `parse` call dereferences the freed object, producing a segfault. ### Version - **Software**: oj gem - **Affected**: all versions with `ext/oj/usual.c` / `ext/oj/parser.c` - **Latest tested**: 3.17.1 (confirmed present) ### Details The `parser_mark` function in `ext/oj/parser.c` is registered as the GC mark callback for the parser's `TypedData`. If `array_class` (stored as `d->array_class` in the `Usual` struct) is not passed to `rb_gc_mark`, the GC does not know it is referenced and may collect it. When `close_array_class` (`usual.c:405`) later calls `rb_funcallv` on the collected class VALUE, it accesses freed memory, crashing at `RIP: 0x7f... / 0x0000000000000000`. Crash output: ``` array_class finalized about to parse [BUG] Segmentation fault at 0x0000000000000000 close_array_class+0x194 /ext/oj/usual.c:405 parse+0x17b3 /ext/oj/parser.c:715 parser_parse+0x10b /ext/oj/parser.c:1408 RIP: 0x7fd1b46d68b7 RBP: 0x0000000000000000 ``` ### Reproduce ```ruby require 'oj' p = Oj::Parser.new(:usual, array_class: (ac = Class.new { def <<(_x); end })) ObjectSpace.define_finalizer(ac, proc { warn 'array_class finalized' }) ac = nil GC.start(full_mark: true, immediate_sweep: true) # collect the class p.parse('[1]') # segfault ```

CVE-2026-54901 Affected Oj Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.17.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
oj
gem/oj
RubyGems
< 3.17.3
3.17.3

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/ohler55/oj/security/advisories/GHSA-vwm4-62gf-x745
Oj Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ohler55/oj

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-54901?
CVE-2026-54901 is a security vulnerability in Oj involving Use-After-Free in Oj::Parser array_class/hash_class GC Marking under CWE-416: Use After Free.
Which Oj versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.17.3 across affected packages: oj.
What version fixes CVE-2026-54901?
Upgrading to 3.17.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is oj affected?
Yes, oj is affected in releases prior to 3.17.3. Upgrade your dependency to 3.17.3 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-54901?
CVE-2026-54901 is classified under CWE-416: Use After Free (The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2026-54901?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for oj'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-vwm4-62gf-x745",
  "modified" : "2026-06-19T20:47:25Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-19T20:47:25Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-54901" ],
  "summary" : "Oj: Use-After-Free in Oj::Parser array_class/hash_class GC Marking",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\n`Oj::Parser` in usual mode does not mark `array_class` and `hash_class` references during garbage collection. If GC runs after the class is assigned but before a parse, the class object is reclaimed, leaving the parser holding a dangling VALUE. The subsequent `parse` call dereferences the freed object, producing a segfault.\n\n### Version\n\n- **Software**: oj gem\n- **Affected**: all versions with `ext/oj/usual.c` / `ext/oj/parser.c`\n- **Latest tested**: 3.17.1 (confirmed present)\n\n### Details\n\nThe `parser_mark` function in `ext/oj/parser.c` is registered as the GC mark callback for the parser's `TypedData`. If `array_class` (stored as `d->array_class` in the `Usual` struct) is not passed to `rb_gc_mark`, the GC does not know it is referenced and may collect it.\n\nWhen `close_array_class` (`usual.c:405`) later calls `rb_funcallv` on the collected class VALUE, it accesses freed memory, crashing at `RIP: 0x7f... / 0x0000000000000000`.\n\nCrash output:\n```\narray_class finalized\nabout to parse\n[BUG] Segmentation fault at 0x0000000000000000\n    close_array_class+0x194  /ext/oj/usual.c:405\n    parse+0x17b3             /ext/oj/parser.c:715\n    parser_parse+0x10b       /ext/oj/parser.c:1408\nRIP: 0x7fd1b46d68b7  RBP: 0x0000000000000000\n```\n\n### Reproduce\n\n```ruby\nrequire 'oj'\np = Oj::Parser.new(:usual,\n  array_class: (ac = Class.new { def <<(_x); end }))\nObjectSpace.define_finalizer(ac, proc { warn 'array_class finalized' })\nac = nil\nGC.start(full_mark: true, immediate_sweep: true)  # collect the class\np.parse('[1]')  # segfault\n```",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "oj"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.17.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "< 3.17.2"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ohler55/oj/security/advisories/GHSA-vwm4-62gf-x745"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ohler55/oj"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-416" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-19T20:47:25Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}