CVE-2026-68495

jackson-dataformats-binary: CBOR parser does not enforce StreamReadConstraints.maxNameLength, enabling memory-exhaustion denial of service

View on CVE.org
Published Oct 1, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
The CBOR parser in FasterXML jackson-dataformats-binary never invokes StreamReadConstraints.validateNameLength() when decoding JSON object property names, so the maxNameLength limit is not enforced for this format. CBORParser._decodeLongerName() decodes a definite-length property name with no length check, and CBORParser._decodeChunkedName() delegates to the value-oriented _finishChunkedText() routine, which validates maxStringLength rather than maxNameLength. An attacker who can have a CBOR document parsed may therefore embed a single property name of unbounded length; the parser buffers the whole name in memory before returning it, whatever maxNameLength is configured to. Because StreamReadConstraints.maxDocumentLength is also disabled by default, nothing else bounds the name under default settings, so the only limits are the attacker's upload capacity and available heap, leading to memory exhaustion and denial of service. No privileges beyond the ability to submit data to a parsing endpoint are required, and exploitation needs only that the bytes reach CBORFactory parsing, directly or through an ObjectMapper configured with the CBOR module. jackson-core's own JSON parsers enforce maxNameLength incrementally during name decoding; this gap is specific to the binary formats. maxNameLength and validateNameLength were introduced in jackson-core 2.16.0, so releases before 2.16.0 do not contain the constraint that is left unenforced. This issue is tracked together with the Smile parser defect in the same vendor advisory, GHSA-3v8f-v6vx-fmrm, which covers both binary formats. The CBOR parser defect (jackson-dataformats-binary issue #725) is CVE-2026-68495; the Smile parser defect (issue #726) is assigned CVE-2026-68496.

Remediation

Vendor Solution

Upgrade to com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat:jackson-dataformat-cbor 2.18.10, 2.21.6 or 2.22.2, or to tools.jackson.dataformat:jackson-dataformat-cbor 3.1.6 or 3.2.2. The 2.16.x, 2.17.x, 2.19.x, 2.20.x and 3.0.x lines received no fix on their own branch and are no longer maintained upstream.

Vendor Workaround

No StreamReadConstraints setting mitigates this: maxNameLength is the control that is not enforced, and maxDocumentLength is disabled by default (-1). Bound request body size ahead of the parser, set StreamReadConstraints.maxDocumentLength explicitly on the CBORFactory, and cap JVM heap so a single document cannot exhaust process memory. Avoid parsing untrusted CBOR input where these limits cannot be applied.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Fasterxml
Fasterxml jackson-dataformats-binary
Vendors & Products Fasterxml
Fasterxml jackson-dataformats-binary
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The CBOR parser in FasterXML jackson-dataformats-binary never invokes StreamReadConstraints.validateNameLength() when decoding JSON object property names, so the maxNameLength limit is not enforced for this format. CBORParser._decodeLongerName() decodes a definite-length property name with no length check, and CBORParser._decodeChunkedName() delegates to the value-oriented _finishChunkedText() routine, which validates maxStringLength rather than maxNameLength. An attacker who can have a CBOR document parsed may therefore embed a single property name of unbounded length; the parser buffers the whole name in memory before returning it, whatever maxNameLength is configured to. Because StreamReadConstraints.maxDocumentLength is also disabled by default, nothing else bounds the name under default settings, so the only limits are the attacker's upload capacity and available heap, leading to memory exhaustion and denial of service. No privileges beyond the ability to submit data to a parsing endpoint are required, and exploitation needs only that the bytes reach CBORFactory parsing, directly or through an ObjectMapper configured with the CBOR module. jackson-core's own JSON parsers enforce maxNameLength incrementally during name decoding; this gap is specific to the binary formats. maxNameLength and validateNameLength were introduced in jackson-core 2.16.0, so releases before 2.16.0 do not contain the constraint that is left unenforced. This issue is tracked together with the Smile parser defect in the same vendor advisory, GHSA-3v8f-v6vx-fmrm, which covers both binary formats. The CBOR parser defect (jackson-dataformats-binary issue #725) is CVE-2026-68495; the Smile parser defect (issue #726) is assigned CVE-2026-68496.
Title jackson-dataformats-binary: CBOR parser does not enforce StreamReadConstraints.maxNameLength, enabling memory-exhaustion denial of service
Weaknesses CWE-400
CWE-770
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
HeroDevs
Published
Updated
Oct 1, 2026, 6:16 PM
Reserved
Jul 30, 2026, 3:20 PM

View source JSON

Updated
Oct 1, 2026, 6:16 PM

JSON

Status
Awaiting Analysis
Published
Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 PM
Modified
Oct 2, 2026, 6:44 PM

View source JSON

No data.

Updated
Oct 1, 2026, 7:00 PM

JSON