// For flags

CVE-2021-22569

Denial of Service of protobuf-java parsing procedure

Severity Score

5.5
*CVSS v3.1

Exploit Likelihood

< 1%
*EPSS

Affected Versions

12
*CPE

Public Exploits

2
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

An issue in protobuf-java allowed the interleaving of com.google.protobuf.UnknownFieldSet fields in such a way that would be processed out of order. A small malicious payload can occupy the parser for several minutes by creating large numbers of short-lived objects that cause frequent, repeated pauses. We recommend upgrading libraries beyond the vulnerable versions.

Un problema en protobuf-java permitía intercalar campos com.google.protobuf.UnknownFieldSet de tal manera que eran procesados fuera de orden. Una pequeña carga útil maliciosa puede ocupar el analizador durante varios minutos al crear un gran número de objetos de corta duración que causan frecuentes y repetidas pausas. Recomendamos actualizar las bibliotecas más allá de las versiones vulnerables

A flaw was found in protobuf-java. Google Protocol Buffer (protobuf-java) allows the interleaving of com.google.protobuf.UnknownFieldSet fields. By persuading a victim to open specially-crafted content, a remote attacker could cause a timeout in the ProtobufFuzzer function, resulting in a denial of service.

Debezium is a distributed platform that turns your existing databases into event streams, so applications can see and respond immediately to each row-level change in the databases. Debezium is built on top of Apache Kafka and provides Kafka Connect compatible connectors that monitor specific database management systems. Debezium records the history of data changes in Kafka logs, from where your application consumes them. This makes it possible for your application to easily consume all of the events correctly and completely. Even if your application stops unexpectedly, it will not miss anything: when the application restarts, it will resume consuming the events where it left off. Issues addressed include a denial of service vulnerability.

*Credits: OSS-Fuzz - https://github.com/google/oss-fuzz
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Medium
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Partial
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2021-01-05 CVE Reserved
  • 2022-01-07 CVE Published
  • 2022-02-17 First Exploit
  • 2024-08-03 CVE Updated
  • 2025-03-30 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
CWE
  • CWE-696: Incorrect Behavior Order
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions (12)