HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2022-1941
HIGH

CVE-2022-1941

CWE-1286Published: September 22, 2022· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A parsing vulnerability for the MessageSet type in the ProtocolBuffers versions prior to and including 3.16.1, 3.17.3, 3.18.2, 3.19.4, 3.20.1 and 3.21.5 for protobuf-cpp, and versions prior to and including 3.16.1, 3.17.3, 3.18.2, 3.19.4, 3.20.1 and 4.21.5 for protobuf-python can lead to out of memory failures. A specially crafted message with multiple key-value per elements creates parsing issues, and can lead to a Denial of Service against services receiving unsanitized input. We recommend upgrading to versions 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 3.21.6 for protobuf-cpp and 3.18.3, 3.19.5, 3.20.2, 4.21.6 for protobuf-python. Versions for 3.16 and 3.17 are no longer updated.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2022-1941 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
Google2 product(s)
protobuf-cppprotobuf-python
Source: NVD CPE · 5 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/27/1
ADVISORYhttps://cloud.google.com/support/bulletins#GCP-2022-019
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf
ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/27/1
ADVISORYhttps://cloud.google.com/support/bulletins#GCP-2022-019
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hf

All References (14)

→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/27/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://cloud.google.com/support/bulletins#GCP-2022-019Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hfThird Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00019.htmlMailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CBAUKJQL6O4TIWYBENORSY5P43TVB4M3/
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MPCGUT3T5L6C3IDWUPSUO22QDCGQKTOP/
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240705-0001/
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/27/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://cloud.google.com/support/bulletins#GCP-2022-019Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/security/advisories/GHSA-8gq9-2x98-w8hfThird Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00019.htmlMailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CBAUKJQL6O4TIWYBENORSY5P43TVB4M3/
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MPCGUT3T5L6C3IDWUPSUO22QDCGQKTOP/
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240705-0001/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2022-1941
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-1286
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 22, 2022

Related CVEs (CWE-1286)

CVE-2025-41719
8.8
CVE-2021-31988
8.8
CVE-2026-6442
8.3
CVE-2024-26507
7.8
CVE-2025-10954
7.5
CVE-2025-13033
7.5

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2022-1941 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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