Vulnerabilities in pkg:npm/protobufjs
PACKAGECVE-2026-59876 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.8) text format string map parsing vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting protobufjs libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves text format string map parsing can mutate returned map object prototype. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 8.6.5.
pkg:npm/protobufjs
Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:npm/protobufjs. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.
| Advisory ID | CVE / NVD | Severity | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934 | CVE-2026-59876 | MODERATE | protobufjs: Text Format string map parsing can mutate returned map object prototype |
| GHSA-j3f2-48v5-ccww | CVE-2026-59877 | MODERATE | protobufjs: Denial of Service via infinite loop in .proto option parsing |
| GHSA-94rc-8x27-4472 | CVE-2026-54270 | MODERATE | protobufjs: Memory amplification from preserved unknown fields in binary decode |
| GHSA-f38q-mgvj-vph7 | CVE-2026-54269 | MODERATE | protobufjs : Schema-derived names can shadow runtime-significant properties |
| GHSA-wcpc-wj8m-hjx6 | CVE-2026-48712 | HIGH | protobufjs: Denial of service through unbounded Any expansion during JSON conversion |
| GHSA-jggg-4jg4-v7c6 | CVE-2026-45740 | MODERATE | protobufjs: Denial of Service via unbounded recursive JSON descriptor expansion |
| GHSA-2pr8-phx7-x9h3 | CVE-2026-44294 | MODERATE | protobuf.js: Denial of service from crafted field names in generated code |
| GHSA-fx83-v9x8-x52w | CVE-2026-44292 | MODERATE | protobuf.js: Prototype injection in generated message constructors |
| GHSA-75px-5xx7-5xc7 | CVE-2026-44291 | HIGH | protobuf.js: Code generation gadget after prototype pollution |
| GHSA-jvwf-75h9-cwgg | CVE-2026-44290 | HIGH | protobuf.js: Process-wide denial of service through unsafe option paths |
| GHSA-685m-2w69-288q | CVE-2026-44289 | HIGH | protobuf.js: Denial of service through unbounded protobuf recursion |
| GHSA-q6x5-8v7m-xcrf | CVE-2026-44288 | MODERATE | protobufjs has overlong UTF-8 decoding |
| GHSA-66ff-xgx4-vchm | CVE-2026-44293 | HIGH | protobuf.js: Code injection through bytes field defaults in generated toObject code |
| GHSA-xq3m-2v4x-88gg | CVE-2026-41242 | CRITICAL | Arbitrary code execution in protobufjs |
| GHSA-h755-8qp9-cq85 | CVE-2023-36665 | CRITICAL | protobufjs Prototype Pollution vulnerability |
| GHSA-762f-c2wg-m8c8 | CVE-2018-3738 | MODERATE | Denial of Service in protobufjs |
| GHSA-g954-5hwp-pp24 | CVE-2022-25878 | HIGH | Prototype Pollution in protobufjs |
| GHSA-4gpv-cvmq-6526 | - | MODERATE | Denial of Service in protobufjs |
CVE-2026-59876 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 4.8
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-59876
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected protobufjs dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
npm install protobufjs@8.6.5
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls protobufjs
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-59876, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls protobufjs
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of protobufjs in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 8.6.5), your application is affected.
Note: The npm ls protobufjs command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'), where the product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype. In protobufjs, 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
CVE-2026-59876 Affected protobufjs Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
protobufjs
|
npm |
≥ 8.2.0
< 8.6.5
|
8.6.5
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-59876?
Which protobufjs versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-59876?
Is protobufjs affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-59876?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-59876?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-59876?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934",
"modified" : "2026-07-20T22:04:07Z",
"published" : "2026-07-20T22:04:07Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-59876" ],
"summary" : "protobufjs: Text Format string map parsing can mutate returned map object prototype",
"details" : "## Summary\n\nThe protobuf.js text format extension parsed string-keyed map entries using ordinary property assignment. A text-format map entry with key `__proto__` could therefore change the prototype of the returned map object instead of creating an own map entry.\n\nThis affected the optional Text Format extension. Other protobufjs input paths, including binary decode, `fromObject`, and ProtoJSON conversion, are not affected.\n\n## Impact\n\nAn attacker who can provide protobuf text-format input parsed by an application using `protobufjs/ext/textformat` may be able to create message objects whose string-keyed map fields have attacker-controlled prototypes.\n\nThis is per-object prototype mutation, not global `Object.prototype` pollution. Impact depends on downstream application logic treating inherited properties as meaningful, for example by using `in`, truthiness checks, or direct property access on parsed map objects instead of own-property checks.\n\nApplications that do not parse untrusted Text Format input, or that do not use inherited properties from parsed map objects in security-relevant logic, are not directly affected.\n\n## Preconditions\n\n* The application must parse attacker-controlled protobuf Text Format input with `protobufjs/ext/textformat`.\n* The target schema must contain a string-keyed map field.\n* The crafted input must provide a map entry with key `__proto__`.\n* Downstream application logic must treat inherited properties on the returned map object as meaningful for impact beyond malformed output.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nUpgrade to protobufjs 8.6.5 or newer.\n\nIf immediate upgrade is not possible, do not parse untrusted protobuf Text Format input with affected versions. Applications can also reject string map keys named `__proto__` before or during Text Format parsing, and should use own-property checks such as `Object.hasOwnProperty.call(map, key)` when consuming parsed map objects.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "protobufjs"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "8.2.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "8.6.5"
} ]
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 8.6.4"
}
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/security/advisories/GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59876"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/pull/2335"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/commit/9f97fe413072d3beb52c74e62d88ea8adc9444d8"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/protobufjs/protobuf.js/releases/tag/protobufjs-v8.6.5"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-20T22:04:07Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-07-08T16:16:34Z"
}
}