CVE-2026-0994
Denial of Service in Python Protobuf
Description
A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability exists in google.protobuf.json_format.ParseDict() in Python, where the max_recursion_depth limit can be bypassed when parsing nested google.protobuf.Any messages. Due to missing recursion depth accounting inside the internal Any-handling logic, an attacker can supply deeply nested Any structures that bypass the intended recursion limit, eventually exhausting Python’s recursion stack and causing a RecursionError.
INFO
Published Date :
Jan. 23, 2026, 3:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
Jan. 26, 2026, 3:03 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | 14ed7db2-1595-443d-9d34-6215bf890778 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the google-protobuf library to the latest version.
- Apply patches addressing recursion depth accounting.
- Avoid parsing untrusted deeply nested messages.
- Monitor system for RecursionError.
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github
CVE-2026-0994 has a 9 public
PoC/Exploit available at Github.
Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-0994.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/pull/25239 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-0994 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-0994
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
github actions for python uv project
None
Python TypeScript Shell Dockerfile
Python-based PDF scanner for prompt injection checks suitable for journal editors
Dockerfile Python YARA
AI Code Quality Automation for Claude Code - Trinity Score (眞善美) based analysis with 50-70% cost reduction
ai automation claude code-quality developer-tools llm python
Shell Python Dockerfile JavaScript Go Template
FastBulma: Combines Bulma's CSS utilities with FAST's web components through CSS variables
Shell Python HTML CSS JavaScript
None
Python Shell HCL
None
Makefile Python Shell
An attempt to make my own agentic cli.
Python Shell Makefile
An automated, AI-curated daily digest for Platform Engineers. Filters noise from GCP, Kubernetes, and AI Infrastructure news using Llama 3
Python
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-0994 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
-
Daily CyberSecurity
CISA Warns of Unpatched Avation & RISS Critical Flaws
In a concerning update for the operational technology (OT) sector, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued alerts for two distinct critical infrastructure devices where ... Read more
-
Daily CyberSecurity
Broadcast Hijack: Critical KiloView Flaw (CVSS 9.8) Grants Full Control
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a high-priority alert regarding a maximum-severity vulnerability in KiloView, a popular brand of video encoding and streaming dev ... Read more
-
Daily CyberSecurity
CVE-2026-24002: Critical Sandbox Escape Turns Grist Spreadsheets into RCE Weapons
A seemingly innocent spreadsheet formula could be the key to compromising entire organizations, thanks to a critical vulnerability uncovered by Cyera Research Labs in Grist-Core. The flaw, tracked as ... Read more
-
Daily CyberSecurity
CVE-2026-23830: Critical SandboxJS Flaw (CVSS 10) Allows Total Sandbox Escape
A perfect storm of missing checks has led to a maximum-severity vulnerability in SandboxJS, a library designed to safely execute untrusted JavaScript code. Tracked as CVE-2026-23830, the flaw carries ... Read more
-
Daily CyberSecurity
CVE-2025-14988: Critical 9.8 Vulnerability hits ibaPDA Industrial Software
A critical security vulnerability has been identified in ibaPDA, a core data acquisition system used in industrial environments to monitor and analyze process data. Tracked as CVE-2025-14988, the flaw ... Read more
-
Daily CyberSecurity
High-Severity DoS Flaw Hits Google Protocol Buffers (CVE-2026-0994)
A high-severity vulnerability has been discovered in Protocol Buffers (protobuf), Google’s widely used mechanism for serializing structured data. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-0994, affects Python imp ... Read more
-
Daily CyberSecurity
“Repo Squatting”: How Hackers Are Using GitHub’s Own Features to Hijack Official Repos
In a clever twist on software supply chain attacks, threat actors are weaponizing a quirk in GitHub’s architecture to distribute malware that appears to come from trusted, official sources. A new repo ... Read more
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-0994 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jan. 23, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability exists in google.protobuf.json_format.ParseDict() in Python, where the max_recursion_depth limit can be bypassed when parsing nested google.protobuf.Any messages. Due to missing recursion depth accounting inside the internal Any-handling logic, an attacker can supply deeply nested Any structures that bypass the intended recursion limit, eventually exhausting Python’s recursion stack and causing a RecursionError. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:L/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CWE CWE-674 Added Reference https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/pull/25239