# CVE-2019-15544: Uncontrolled memory consumption in protobuf


- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Aug 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mh6h-f25p-98f8, RUSTSEC-2019-0003

## What is CVE-2019-15544?

CVE-2019-15544 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 Aug 2019. 

### Official description

An issue was discovered in the protobuf crate before 2.6.0 for Rust. Attackers can exhaust all memory via Vec::reserve calls.

Weakness: CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-15544?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including protobuf. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `protobuf` | crates.io | All versions | 2.6.0 |
| `protobuf` | crates.io | All versions | 2.6.0 |
| `protobuf` | crates.io | From 0.0.0-0 | 1.7.5, 2.6.0 |

Products: Apache Hbase, Rust-Protobuf Project Rust-Protobuf.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-15544?

Upgrade protobuf to a fixed version for your release line: 2.6.0 or 1.7.5.

## Is CVE-2019-15544 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-15544 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2018-8025](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8025/): Race condition in org.apache.hbase:hbase-thrift (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2019-0212](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-0212/): Improper Authorization in org.apache.hbase:hbase (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2015-1836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1836/): High severity vulnerability that affects org.apache.hbase:hbase (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2026-49326](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49326/): Apache HBase: Missing scanner instance owner check in thrift delegation service (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2013-2193](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2193/): Security feature bypass in n/a (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-15544 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-15544 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 Aug 2019. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-15544 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- protobuf (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 2.6.0
- protobuf (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 2.6.0
- protobuf (crates.io): affected from 0.0.0-0; fixed in 1.7.5, 2.6.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15544/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15544/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-15544
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15544
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-15544

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15544/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.