jackson-dataformats-binary: CBOR parser does not enforce StreamReadConstraints.maxNameLength, enabling memory-exhaustion denial of service
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-68495 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | HeroDevs |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-10-01 18:17:27 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-10-02 18:44:11 UTC |
| Description | The CBOR parser in FasterXML jackson-dataformats-binary never invokes StreamReadConstraints.validateNameLength() when decoding JSON object property names, so the maxNameLength limit is not enforced for this format. CBORParser._decodeLongerName() decodes a definite-length property name with no length check, and CBORParser._decodeChunkedName() delegates to the value-oriented _finishChunkedText() routine, which validates maxStringLength rather than maxNameLength. An attacker who can have a CBOR document parsed may therefore embed a single property name of unbounded length; the parser buffers the whole name in memory before returning it, whatever maxNameLength is configured to. Because StreamReadConstraints.maxDocumentLength is also disabled by default, nothing else bounds the name under default settings, so the only limits are the attacker's upload capacity and available heap, leading to memory exhaustion and denial of service. No privileges beyond the ability to submit data to a parsing endpoint are required, and exploitation needs only that the bytes reach CBORFactory parsing, directly or through an ObjectMapper configured with the CBOR module. jackson-core's own JSON parsers enforce maxNameLength incrementally during name decoding; this gap is specific to the binary formats. maxNameLength and validateNameLength were introduced in jackson-core 2.16.0, so releases before 2.16.0 do not contain the constraint that is left unenforced. This issue is tracked together with the Smile parser defect in the same vendor advisory, GHSA-3v8f-v6vx-fmrm, which covers both binary formats. The CBOR parser defect (jackson-dataformats-binary issue #725) is CVE-2026-68495; the Smile parser defect (issue #726) is assigned CVE-2026-68496. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.5 HIGH from 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS: 0.006660000 probability, percentile 0.500960000 (date 2026-10-05)
Problem Types: CWE-400 | CWE-770 | CWE-770 CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling | CWE-400 CWE-400 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c | Secondary | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | FasterXML | Jackson-dataformats-binary | affected 2.16.0 2.18.9 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | FasterXML | Jackson-dataformats-binary | affected 2.19.0 2.21.5 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | FasterXML | Jackson-dataformats-binary | affected 2.22.0 2.22.1 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | FasterXML | Jackson-dataformats-binary | affected 3.0.0 3.1.5 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | FasterXML | Jackson-dataformats-binary | affected 3.2.0 3.2.1 maven | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/FasterXML/jackson-dataformats-binary/issues/725 | 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c | github.com | |
| www.cve.org/CVERecord | 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c | www.cve.org | |
| github.com/FasterXML/jackson-dataformats-binary/blob/2.18/release-notes/... | 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c | github.com | |
| github.com/FasterXML/jackson-dataformats-binary/security/advisories/GHSA... | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: tinyb0y (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Solutions
CNA: Upgrade to com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat:jackson-dataformat-cbor 2.18.10, 2.21.6 or 2.22.2, or to tools.jackson.dataformat:jackson-dataformat-cbor 3.1.6 or 3.2.2. The 2.16.x, 2.17.x, 2.19.x, 2.20.x and 3.0.x lines received no fix on their own branch and are no longer maintained upstream.
Workarounds
CNA: No StreamReadConstraints setting mitigates this: maxNameLength is the control that is not enforced, and maxDocumentLength is disabled by default (-1). Bound request body size ahead of the parser, set StreamReadConstraints.maxDocumentLength explicitly on the CBORFactory, and cap JVM heap so a single document cannot exhaust process memory. Avoid parsing untrusted CBOR input where these limits cannot be applied.