CVE-2024-7254: Any project that parses untrusted Protocol Buffers data containing an arbitrary number of nested groups / seri

This month

HIGH 7.5REMOTEUPGRADEUPGRADEUPGRADE

CVE-2024-7254 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting protobuf, protobuf-java, protobuf-javalite. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Any project that parses untrusted Protocol Buffers data containing an arbitrary number of nested groups / series of SGROUP tags can corrupted by exceeding the stack limit i.e. StackOverflow. Parsing nested groups as unknown fields with DiscardUnknownFieldsParser or Java Protobuf Lite parser, or against Protobuf map fields, creates unbounded recursions that can be abused by an attacker.

Why this priority

High severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	2.8% (top 14%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-400, CWE-674, CWE-787
Published	2024-09-19
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): Google Inc. · Vendor: google · netapp

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2024-09-19 01:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 08:19 UTCUpdated Record last modified

google protobuf UPGRADE

Affected: < 3.25.5 · >= 4.0.0 and < 4.27.5 · >= 4.28.0 and < 4.28.2

Fixed in: 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy protobuf || rpm -q protobuf || protobuf --version

2. UPGRADE to 3.25.5 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade protobuf

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade protobuf

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison protobuf sudo apt install protobuf=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold protobuf

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list protobuf sudo dnf downgrade protobuf-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add protobuf

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

google protobuf-java UPGRADE

Affected: < 3.25.5 · >= 4.0.0 and < 4.27.5 · >= 4.28.0 and < 4.28.2

Fixed in: 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy protobuf-java || rpm -q protobuf-java || protobuf-java --version

2. UPGRADE to 3.25.5 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade protobuf-java

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade protobuf-java

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison protobuf-java sudo apt install protobuf-java=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold protobuf-java

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list protobuf-java sudo dnf downgrade protobuf-java-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add protobuf-java

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

google protobuf-javalite UPGRADE

Affected: < 3.25.5 · >= 4.0.0 and < 4.27.5 · >= 4.28.0 and < 4.28.2

Fixed in: 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy protobuf-javalite || rpm -q protobuf-javalite || protobuf-javalite --version

2. UPGRADE to 3.25.5 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade protobuf-javalite

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade protobuf-javalite

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison protobuf-javalite sudo apt install protobuf-javalite=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold protobuf-javalite

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list protobuf-javalite sudo dnf downgrade protobuf-javalite-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add protobuf-javalite

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

google protobuf-kotlin UPGRADE

Affected: < 3.25.5 · >= 4.0.0 and < 4.27.5 · >= 4.28.0 and < 4.28.2

Fixed in: 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy protobuf-kotlin || rpm -q protobuf-kotlin || protobuf-kotlin --version

2. UPGRADE to 3.25.5 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade protobuf-kotlin

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade protobuf-kotlin

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison protobuf-kotlin sudo apt install protobuf-kotlin=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold protobuf-kotlin

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list protobuf-kotlin sudo dnf downgrade protobuf-kotlin-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add protobuf-kotlin

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

google protobuf-kotlin-lite UPGRADE

Affected: < 3.25.5 · >= 4.0.0 and < 4.27.5 · >= 4.28.0 and <= 4.28.2

Fixed in: 3.25.5, 4.27.5

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy protobuf-kotlin-lite || rpm -q protobuf-kotlin-lite || protobuf-kotlin-lite --version

2. UPGRADE to 3.25.5 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade protobuf-kotlin-lite

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade protobuf-kotlin-lite

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison protobuf-kotlin-lite sudo apt install protobuf-kotlin-lite=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold protobuf-kotlin-lite

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list protobuf-kotlin-lite sudo dnf downgrade protobuf-kotlin-lite-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add protobuf-kotlin-lite

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

netapp active iq unified manager MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy active-iq-unified-manager || rpm -q active-iq-unified-manager || active-iq-unified-manager --version

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2024-7254?

protobuf: upgrade to 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2; protobuf-java: upgrade to 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2; protobuf-javalite: upgrade to 3.25.5, 4.27.5, 4.28.2. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2024-7254 being exploited?

CVE-2024-7254 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2024-7254 affect?

CVE-2024-7254 affects protobuf, protobuf-java, protobuf-javalite. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Any project that parses untrusted Protocol Buffers data containing an arbitrary number of nested groups / series of SGROUP tags can corrupted by exceeding the stack limit i.e. StackOverflow. Parsing nested groups as unknown fields with Disc

How urgent is CVE-2024-7254?

Priority 53/100. High severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Software pages

Java vulnerabilities · Kotlin vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-0994 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability exists in google.protobuf.json_format.ParseDict() in Python, where the
CVE-2024-2410 HIGH 7.6 UPGRADE The JsonToBinaryStream() function is part of the protocol buffers C++ implementation and is used to parse JSON
CVE-2023-24535 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Parsing invalid messages can panic

References

← Back to latest CVEs