GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934: protobufjs: Text Format string map parsing can mutate returned map object prototype
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.
Details
Original advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jfj6-75fj-8934
Exploitation outlook
EPSS (FIRST.org) estimates each CVE’s probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — here is the CSIRTS.com read on those numbers.
- Low exploitation riskCVE-2026-598760.22% 30-day exploitation probability — currently an unlikely target, but scores change as exploit code circulates. Riskier than 13% of all scored CVEs.
Referenced CVEs
| CVE | CSIRTS overview | External |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-59876 | coverage & exploitation status | NVD · CVE.org |
Same CVEs, other sources
How other CERTs, PSIRTs and databases cover the vulnerabilities in this advisory.
More from GitHub Security Advisories
- mediumGHSA-jr6p-8pjj-mfx6: Capsule has an incomplete fix of CVE-2026-22872: TenantResource RawItems and Generators s…2026-07-31
- mediumGHSA-68cj-mvg9-rgm2: Capsule: CapsuleConfiguration NodeMetadata regex fields lack webhook validation, allowing…2026-07-31
- mediumGHSA-ff84-5f28-78qj: re2: Out-of-bounds heap read in `exec`/`test`/`match` via attacker-influenced `lastIndex`…2026-07-31
- mediumGHSA-6hxr-mr5r-9836: re2: Global `String.prototype.match` with an empty-matchable pattern never advances → inf…2026-07-31
- mediumGHSA-x83g-979r-f5fh: Sylius Mollie Plugin has unauthenticated IDOR that leaks order token and customer PII2026-07-31