CVE-2026-61801

github.com/moby/sys/user has a possible DoS via unbounded parsing of user and group database files

Published Oct 8, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
The `github.com/moby/sys/user` package provides Go utilities for parsing and looking up entries in Unix-style user and group database files. Versions before 0.4.1 do not sufficiently limit entries when parsing `/etc/passwd`- or `/etc/group`-style files, allowing an attacker who can supply a specially crafted file to cause excessive memory consumption and potentially terminate the affected process due to an out-of-memory condition. This issue is patched in version 0.4.1. As a workaround, avoid parsing attacker-controlled user or group database files, or validate and limit untrusted input before parsing it.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-mjcv-p78q-w5fw github.com/moby/sys/user has a possible DoS via unbounded parsing of user and group database files
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat hummingbird
Weaknesses CWE-770
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:hummingbird:1
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat hummingbird
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Moby
Moby sys
Vendors & Products Moby
Moby sys
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The `github.com/moby/sys/user` package provides Go utilities for parsing and looking up entries in Unix-style user and group database files. Versions before 0.4.1 do not sufficiently limit entries when parsing `/etc/passwd`- or `/etc/group`-style files, allowing an attacker who can supply a specially crafted file to cause excessive memory consumption and potentially terminate the affected process due to an out-of-memory condition. This issue is patched in version 0.4.1. As a workaround, avoid parsing attacker-controlled user or group database files, or validate and limit untrusted input before parsing it.
Title github.com/moby/sys/user has a possible DoS via unbounded parsing of user and group database files
Weaknesses CWE-400
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Oct 8, 2026, 5:27 PM
Reserved
Jul 10, 2026, 8:06 PM
Status
Deferred
Published
Oct 8, 2026, 5:17 PM
Modified
Oct 8, 2026, 9:35 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 8, 2026, 4:22 PM