CVE-2026-48504: Opentelemetry sdk Opentelemetry_sdk Has Unbounded Memory Allocation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-w9wp-h8wv-79jx
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-48504 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) opentelemetry_sdk has unbounded memory allocation vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Opentelemetry sdk libraries in the crates.io ecosystem. The issue involves opentelemetry_sdk has unbounded memory allocation in w3c baggage propagation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.32.1.

CVE-2026-48504 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-48504
GHSA Identifier GHSA-w9wp-h8wv-79jx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Affected Product Opentelemetry sdk
Package Ecosystem crates.io
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2026-48504

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

opentelemetry_sdk fixed: 0.32.1 
Upgrade opentelemetry_sdk to 0.32.1
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 opentelemetry_sdk

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-48504, inspect your project dependencies for Opentelemetry sdk:

inspect dependencies for opentelemetry_sdk

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Opentelemetry sdk in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.32.1), 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-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, where the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. In Opentelemetry sdk, 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 `BaggagePropagator::extract_with_context` in `opentelemetry_sdk` did not enforce the W3C Baggage size limits before parsing an inbound `baggage` header. A large attacker-controlled header could cause unnecessary CPU work and short-lived heap allocations while parsing entries that would later be discarded by the SDK's baggage storage limits. The SDK now applies limits aligned with the W3C Baggage limits: - 64 list-members - 8192 bytes total ## Impact Services that accept untrusted inbound propagation headers may experience increased per-request resource usage when processing oversized `baggage` headers. This can contribute to denial-of-service risk, especially when application or transport-level header limits are absent or configured above the W3C Baggage limits. The impact is limited to availability. This issue does not expose telemetry data, modify telemetry data, or allow code execution. ## Patches Upgrade `opentelemetry_sdk` to version `0.32.1` or later. Version `0.32.1` rejects `baggage` header values larger than 8192 bytes and limits extraction to the first 64 list-members. ## Workarounds If upgrading immediately is not possible, reject or limit inbound `baggage` headers larger than 8192 bytes before invoking OpenTelemetry propagation extraction. This can be enforced at a proxy, gateway, middleware layer, or custom carrier boundary. ## Resources - W3C Baggage limits: https://www.w3.org/TR/baggage/#limits - Related OpenTelemetry Java advisory: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/security/advisories/GHSA-rcgg-9c38-7xpx - Related OpenTelemetry Go advisory: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/security/advisories/GHSA-mh2q-q3fh-2475 - CVE-2026-48504 ## Credit tonghuaroot

CVE-2026-48504 Affected Opentelemetry sdk Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.32.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
opentelemetry_sdk
 crates.io
< 0.32.1
0.32.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust/security/advisories/GHSA-w9wp-h8wv-79jx
Opentelemetry sdk Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-48504?
CVE-2026-48504 is a security vulnerability in Opentelemetry sdk involving opentelemetry_sdk has unbounded memory allocation in W3C Baggage propagation under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
Which Opentelemetry sdk versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.32.1 across affected packages: opentelemetry_sdk.
What version fixes CVE-2026-48504?
Upgrading to 0.32.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is opentelemetry_sdk affected?
Yes, opentelemetry_sdk is affected in releases prior to 0.32.1. Upgrade your dependency to 0.32.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-48504?
CVE-2026-48504 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-48504?
CVE-2026-48504 is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.).
How can I check crates.io dependencies for CVE-2026-48504?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for opentelemetry_sdk'. 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-w9wp-h8wv-79jx",
  "modified" : "2026-06-25T18:40:05Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-25T18:40:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-48504" ],
  "summary" : "opentelemetry_sdk has unbounded memory allocation in W3C Baggage propagation",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\n`BaggagePropagator::extract_with_context` in `opentelemetry_sdk` did not enforce the W3C Baggage size limits before parsing an inbound `baggage` header. A large attacker-controlled header could cause unnecessary CPU work and short-lived heap allocations while parsing entries that would later be discarded by the SDK's baggage storage limits.\n\nThe SDK now applies limits aligned with the W3C Baggage limits:\n\n  - 64 list-members\n  - 8192 bytes total\n\n## Impact\n\nServices that accept untrusted inbound propagation headers may experience increased per-request resource usage when processing oversized `baggage` headers. This can contribute to denial-of-service risk, especially when application or transport-level header limits are absent or configured above the W3C Baggage limits.\n \nThe impact is limited to availability. This issue does not expose telemetry data, modify telemetry data, or allow code execution.\n\n## Patches\n\nUpgrade `opentelemetry_sdk` to version `0.32.1` or later.\n\nVersion `0.32.1` rejects `baggage` header values larger than 8192 bytes and limits extraction to the first 64 list-members.\n\n  ## Workarounds\n\nIf upgrading immediately is not possible, reject or limit inbound `baggage` headers larger than 8192 bytes before invoking OpenTelemetry propagation extraction. This can be enforced at a proxy, gateway, middleware layer, or custom carrier boundary.\n\n## Resources\n\n  - W3C Baggage limits: https://www.w3.org/TR/baggage/#limits\n  - Related OpenTelemetry Java advisory: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/security/advisories/GHSA-rcgg-9c38-7xpx\n  - Related OpenTelemetry Go advisory: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/security/advisories/GHSA-mh2q-q3fh-2475\n  - CVE-2026-48504\n\n## Credit\n\ntonghuaroot",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "opentelemetry_sdk"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.32.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 0.32.0"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust/security/advisories/GHSA-w9wp-h8wv-79jx"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-25T18:40:04Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}