C DriverApplication · MongoDB
CVE-2023-0437
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedWhen calling bson_utf8_validate on some inputs a loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached may occur, i.e. an infinite loop. This issue affects All MongoDB C Driver versions prior to versions 1.25.0.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe bson_utf8_validate function in MongoDB C Driver versions prior to 1.25.0 contains an infinite loop vulnerability where certain crafted inputs cause a loop with an unreachable exit condition, leading to denial of service via CPU exhaustion.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
C DriverApplication
< 1.25.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate MongoDB C Driver librarySearch for libbson library files on the system. Common locations include /usr/lib/, /usr/local/lib/, or check via package manager. Look for files named libbson.so, libbson.a, or header files like bson.hAffected if MongoDB C Driver library is present on the system
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Determine installed versionRun pkg-config --modversion libbson if available. For package managers: dpkg -l | grep -i mongo, rpm -qa | grep -i mongo-c-driver, or brew list --versions mongo-c-driver. For source builds, check version.h or the library sonameAffected if Version is found to be less than 1.25.0
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Identify applications using the libraryReview application dependencies or build configurations to determine if any software links against the MongoDB C Driver. Check application documentation or binary linkage using ldd on executables or nm on shared objectsAffected if Any application or service links against the MongoDB C Driver
The environment is affected if MongoDB C Driver version is present and below 1.25.0, and the bson_utf8_validate function is used by any application.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.25.0
Upgrade MongoDB C Driver to version 1.25.0 or later to remediate the infinite loop vulnerability in bson_utf8_validate.
1.25.0
- 1. Identify the current version of the MongoDB C Driver in your environment by checking your dependencies or installed library version
- 2. Obtain MongoDB C Driver version 1.25.0 or later from the official MongoDB GitHub repository (https://github.com/mongodb/libbson) or your distribution's package manager
- 3. Replace the existing C Driver library with the updated version
- 4. Rebuild or recompile any applications that link against the MongoDB C Driver library to link against the new version
- 5. Test the application to verify bson_utf8_validate functions correctly and no infinite loop occurs
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in C Driver
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-0437 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-0437 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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