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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-44291High confidence

protobufjs: Code generation gadget after prototype pollution

protobufjs · protobuf.js

Official source article: GitHub GHSA-75PX-5XX7-5XC7 ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

8.1HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 0.42% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs protobufjs protobuf.js and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 30 daysRemediation target: Within 180 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Open-source package ranges4 source-attributed ranges

These OSV and GitHub advisory ranges apply only to the named package and ecosystem. A listed fixed version is not a universal product patch or proof that an update is installed.

Ecosystem and packageAffected rangeFirst fixed versionEvidence
npmprotobufjs<= 7.5.57.5.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 14 May 2026
npmprotobufjs>= 8.0.0, <= 8.0.18.0.2GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 14 May 2026
npmprotobufjsSEMVER: introduced 0; fixed 7.5.67.5.6OSV record ↗aggregator derived · 10 Sep 2026
npmprotobufjsSEMVER: introduced 8.0.0; fixed 8.0.28.0.2OSV record ↗aggregator derived · 10 Sep 2026
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-44291 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securityprotobufjs: protobufjs: Arbitrary Code Execution via prototype pollution
9 known affected

The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.

  • openshift-pipelines/pipelines-console-plugin-rhel8 as a component of OpenShift Pipelines
  • openshift-pipelines/pipelines-console-plugin-rhel9 as a component of OpenShift Pipelines
  • rhceph/alloy-rhel10 as a component of Red Hat Ceph Storage 9
  • rhelai3/bootc-cuda-rhel9 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) 3
  • rhelai3/bootc-gaudi-rhel9 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) 3
  • rhelai3/bootc-rocm-rhel9 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) 3
  • rhelai3/disk-image-cuda-rhel9 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) 3
  • rhoai/odh-mod-arch-eval-hub-rhel9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI)
  • ansible-automation-platform/bootc-automation-portal-rhel9 as a component of Self-service automation portal 2
Summary
A flaw was found in protobufjs, a library that compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript functions. This prototype pollution vulnerability occurs when `Object.prototype` is polluted, allowing attacker-controlled properties to be resolved as valid protobuf type information. This can lead to attacker-controlled strings being emitted into generated JavaScript code, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution.
Remediation
Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. For details on how to apply this update, refer to: https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-30029

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.5.6 and 8.0.2, protobufjs used plain objects with inherited prototypes for internal type lookup tables used by generated encode and decode functions. If Object.prototype had already been polluted, those lookup tables could resolve attacker-controlled inherited properties as valid protobuf type information. This could cause attacker-controlled strings to be emitted into generated JavaScript code. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.6 and 8.0.2.

What

protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.5.6 and 8.0.2, protobufjs used plain objects with inherited prototypes for internal type lookup tables used by generated encode and decode functions. If Object.prototype had already been polluted, those lookup tables could resolve attacker-controlled inherited properties as valid protobuf type information. This could cause attacker-controlled strings to be emitted into generated JavaScript code. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.6 and 8.0.2.

Why

Untrusted data can cross into a code-evaluation path and be interpreted as executable instructions.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

protobufjs compiles protobuf definitions into JavaScript (JS) functions. Prior to 7.5.6 and 8.0.2, protobufjs used plain objects with inherited prototypes for internal type lookup tables used by generated encode and decode functions. If Object.prototype had already been polluted, those lookup tables could resolve attacker-controlled inherited properties as valid protobuf type information. This could cause attacker-controlled strings to be emitted into generated JavaScript code. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.6 and 8.0.2.

Why

Untrusted data can cross into a code-evaluation path and be interpreted as executable instructions.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-94 ↗

CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'). The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-94
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-2452Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform (node-tar, linkify-it, protobufjs, brace-expansion, fast-uri, DOMPurify): Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein entfernter, anonymer Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform ausnutzen, um Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, Cross-Site-Scripting-Angriffe durchzuführen, Daten zu manipulieren, einen Denial-of-Service-Zustand auszulösen oder beliebigen Code auszuführen.

Official advisory ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20260520Security Bulletin 20 May 2026

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 20 May 2026, published on 20 May 2026. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2026-AVI-1094Multiples vulnérabilités dans les produits IBM

ord?id=CVE-2026-43279 Référence CVE CVE-2026-43450 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43450 Référence CVE CVE-2026-43499 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43499 Référence CVE CVE-2026-43869 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43869 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44240 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44240 Référence CVE CVE-2026-4427 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-4427 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44288 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44288 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44289 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44289 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44290 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44290 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44291 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44291 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44292 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44292 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44293 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44293 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44294 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44294 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44405 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44405 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44417 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44417 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44431 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44431 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44486 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44486 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44487 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2026-AVI-0788Multiples vulnérabilités dans les produits IBM

d?id=CVE-2026-41907 Référence CVE CVE-2026-41988 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41988 Référence CVE CVE-2026-42502 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42502 Référence CVE CVE-2026-42506 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42506 Référence CVE CVE-2026-42583 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42583 Référence CVE CVE-2026-43284 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43284 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44288 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44288 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44289 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44289 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44290 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44290 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44291 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44291 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44292 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44292 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44293 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44293 Référence CVE CVE-2026-44294 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44294 Référence CVE CVE-2026-45740 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45740 Référence CVE CVE-2026-46300 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46300 Référence CVE CVE-2026-46333 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46333 Référence CVE CVE-2026-5598 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5598 Référence CVE CVE-2026-5758 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-015593protobufjs projectのprotobufjsにおけるコードインジェクションの脆弱性

protobufjsはprotobuf定義をJavaScript（JS）関数にコンパイルします。7.5.6および8.0.2より前のバージョンでは、protobufjsは生成されたエンコードおよびデコード関数で使用される内部型検索テーブルに、継承されたプロトタイプを持つプレーンオブジェクトを使用していました。もしObject.prototypeがすでに汚染されている場合、それらの検索テーブルは攻撃者が制御する継承プロパティを有効なprotobuf型情報として解決する可能性がありました。これにより、攻撃者が制御する文字列が生成されたJavaScriptコードに出力されるリスクがありました。この脆弱性は7.5.6および8.0.2で修正されています。

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
Fixed
Action
Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. For details on how to apply this update, refer to: https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258
Workaround
A mitigation or workaround reference is available from the source linked below; validate it against the affected product and version.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 13 May 2026 · Last source change 13 May 2026, 15:32 UTC · CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-30029
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    < 7.5.6; >= 8.0.0, < 8.0.2 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    < 7.5.6; >= 8.0.0, < 8.0.2 · Fixed: Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. For details on how to apply this update, refer to: https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  2. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Mitigation available to Patch available.
    Before
    Mitigation available
    After
    Patch available
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Mitigation reference recorded
Fixed release recorded from official guidance
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-30029↗Red Hat Product Security security advisory↗CVE authority or vendor reference · GitHub GHSA-75PX-5XX7-5XC7↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-44291 · cve.blacktree.nl