6.9
MEDIUM CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-18401
jackson-core: Number length constraint bypass in non-blocking (async) JSON parser leads to potential denial of service
Description

The non-blocking (asynchronous) JSON parser in jackson-core does not enforce the maxNumberLength constraint defined in StreamReadConstraints (default: 1000 characters). An attacker able to submit JSON to an application that uses the async parser API can supply a number token of arbitrary length, leading to excessive memory allocation and potential CPU exhaustion, resulting in a denial of service. The synchronous parser enforces this limit correctly, so the constraint is applied inconsistently depending on which parsing API the application uses. Root cause: the async parsing path in NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase and related classes never invokes the number length validation methods. Number parsing methods such as _finishNumberIntegralPart() accumulate digits into the TextBuffer without any length check, then call _valueComplete() to finalize the token. _valueComplete() does not call resetInt() or resetFloat(), which are the methods in ParserBase where validateIntegerLength() and validateFPLength() are performed. Because that validation step is skipped, maxNumberLength is never enforced on the async code path. Impact: an attacker sending a JSON document containing an arbitrarily long number to an application using the async parser (for example a Spring WebFlux or other reactive application) can cause unbounded allocation in the TextBuffer and an OutOfMemoryError. If the application subsequently calls getBigIntegerValue() or getDecimalValue(), the JVM may additionally be tied up in O(n^2) BigInteger parsing, causing CPU-based denial of service. No privileges or user interaction beyond the ability to submit data for parsing are required. This issue affects com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core from version 2.15.0 through 2.18.5 and from 2.19.0 through 2.21.0, and tools.jackson.core:jackson-core from 3.0.0 through 3.0.x. Versions prior to 2.15.0 are not affected, because StreamReadConstraints -- which defines the maxNumberLength setting -- was first introduced in jackson-core 2.15.0, so no such constraint exists to be bypassed in earlier releases. Note that GHSA-72hv-8253-57qq records the lower bound of the affected 2.x range as 2.0.0.

INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 4, 2026, 3:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 4, 2026, 3:16 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !

Source :

36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-18401 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Fasterxml jackson-core
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c
Solution
Update jackson-core to a patched version to enforce number length constraints during asynchronous parsing.
  • Update jackson-core to a fixed version.
  • Verify asynchronous parsing validates number length.
  • Consider synchronous parsing if updates are unavailable.
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-2026-18401.

URL Resource
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core/commit/b0c428e6f993e1b5ece5c1c3cb2523e887cd52cf
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core/pull/1555
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core/security/advisories/GHSA-72hv-8253-57qq
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-18401 is associated with the following CWEs:

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).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-18401 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-18401 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 36c7be3b-2937-45df-85ea-ca7133ea542c

    Aug. 04, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core', 'vendor': 'FasterXML', 'product': 'jackson-core', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '2.15.0', 'versionType': 'maven', 'lessThanOrEqual': '2.18.5'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '2.18.6', 'versionType': 'maven'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2.19.0', 'lessThan': '2.21.1', 'versionType': 'maven'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '2.21.1', 'versionType': 'maven'}], 'packageName': 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core', 'programFiles': ['src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/core/json/async/NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase.java'], 'collectionURL': 'https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected', 'programRoutines': [{'name': 'NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase._finishNumberIntegralPart'}, {'name': 'NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase._valueComplete'}]}, {'repo': 'https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core', 'vendor': 'FasterXML', 'product': 'jackson-core', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '3.0.0', 'lessThan': '3.1.0', 'versionType': 'maven'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '3.1.0', 'versionType': 'maven'}], 'packageName': 'tools.jackson.core:jackson-core', 'programFiles': ['src/main/java/tools/jackson/core/json/async/NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase.java'], 'collectionURL': 'https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected', 'programRoutines': [{'name': 'NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase._finishNumberIntegralPart'}, {'name': 'NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase._valueComplete'}]}]
    Added Description The non-blocking (asynchronous) JSON parser in jackson-core does not enforce the maxNumberLength constraint defined in StreamReadConstraints (default: 1000 characters). An attacker able to submit JSON to an application that uses the async parser API can supply a number token of arbitrary length, leading to excessive memory allocation and potential CPU exhaustion, resulting in a denial of service. The synchronous parser enforces this limit correctly, so the constraint is applied inconsistently depending on which parsing API the application uses. Root cause: the async parsing path in NonBlockingUtf8JsonParserBase and related classes never invokes the number length validation methods. Number parsing methods such as _finishNumberIntegralPart() accumulate digits into the TextBuffer without any length check, then call _valueComplete() to finalize the token. _valueComplete() does not call resetInt() or resetFloat(), which are the methods in ParserBase where validateIntegerLength() and validateFPLength() are performed. Because that validation step is skipped, maxNumberLength is never enforced on the async code path. Impact: an attacker sending a JSON document containing an arbitrarily long number to an application using the async parser (for example a Spring WebFlux or other reactive application) can cause unbounded allocation in the TextBuffer and an OutOfMemoryError. If the application subsequently calls getBigIntegerValue() or getDecimalValue(), the JVM may additionally be tied up in O(n^2) BigInteger parsing, causing CPU-based denial of service. No privileges or user interaction beyond the ability to submit data for parsing are required. This issue affects com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core from version 2.15.0 through 2.18.5 and from 2.19.0 through 2.21.0, and tools.jackson.core:jackson-core from 3.0.0 through 3.0.x. Versions prior to 2.15.0 are not affected, because StreamReadConstraints -- which defines the maxNumberLength setting -- was first introduced in jackson-core 2.15.0, so no such constraint exists to be bypassed in earlier releases. Note that GHSA-72hv-8253-57qq records the lower bound of the affected 2.x range as 2.0.0.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/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-770
    Added Reference https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core/commit/b0c428e6f993e1b5ece5c1c3cb2523e887cd52cf
    Added Reference https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core/pull/1555
    Added Reference https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core/security/advisories/GHSA-72hv-8253-57qq
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.