Vulnerabilities in pkg:npm/protobufjs

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934
Advisory Summary

CVE-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.

18 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:npm/protobufjs

18 Known Advisory Record(s)

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

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-59876
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.8
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product protobufjs
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

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).

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

protobufjs fixed: 8.6.5
npm install protobufjs@8.6.5
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

## Summary The 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. This affected the optional Text Format extension. Other protobufjs input paths, including binary decode, `fromObject`, and ProtoJSON conversion, are not affected. ## Impact An 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. This 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. Applications 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. ## Preconditions * The application must parse attacker-controlled protobuf Text Format input with `protobufjs/ext/textformat`. * The target schema must contain a string-keyed map field. * The crafted input must provide a map entry with key `__proto__`. * Downstream application logic must treat inherited properties on the returned map object as meaningful for impact beyond malformed output. ## Workarounds Upgrade to protobufjs 8.6.5 or newer. If 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.

CVE-2026-59876 Affected protobufjs Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
8.6.5
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?
CVE-2026-59876 is a security vulnerability in protobufjs involving Text Format string map parsing can mutate returned map object prototype under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which protobufjs versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 8.6.5 across affected packages: protobufjs.
What version fixes CVE-2026-59876?
Upgrading to 8.6.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is protobufjs affected?
Yes, protobufjs is affected in releases prior to 8.6.5. Upgrade your dependency to 8.6.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-59876?
CVE-2026-59876 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-59876?
CVE-2026-59876 is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') (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.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-59876?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls protobufjs'. 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
{
  "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"
  }
}