dbcve.org
Protobufjs CliApplication · Protobufjs Project

CVE-2026-44295

HIGH · 8.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.2.1 / 2.0.2 or later.
See remediation →
91/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable

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 · unedited
protobufjs-cli is the command line add-on for protobuf.js. Prior to 1.2.1 and 2.0.2, pbjs static code generation could emit unsafe JavaScript identifiers derived from schema-controlled names. When generating static JavaScript from a crafted schema or JSON descriptor, certain namespace, enum, service, or derived full names could be written into the generated output without sufficient sanitization. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.2.1 and 2.0.2.

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 · moderate confidence

protobufjs-cli's pbjs static code generation tool allows schema or JSON descriptor input to produce unsafe JavaScript identifiers. Crafted protobuf schemas containing malicious namespace, enum, service, or derived full names can be written to generated output without proper sanitization, potentially enabling code injection or unexpected code execution.

MitigationUpgrade protobufjs-cli to version 1.2.1 or 2.0.2 or later to obtain the fixed version with proper identifier sanitization during code generation.

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
Protobufjs CliApplication
Affected:< 1.2.1>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.2

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify protobufjs-cli version
    Run 'npm list protobufjs-cli' or 'npm list protobufjs' to see installed version, or check package.json dependencies
    Affected if The version is lower than 1.2.1 OR is 2.0.0 or 2.0.1
  2. Verify pbjs tool is in use
    Search project for pbjs in scripts, node_modules, or as a command-line tool: 'grep -r "pbjs" package.json *.json scripts/'
    Affected if pbjs is used in the build pipeline or as a dev dependency
  3. Check schema input source
    Examine how protobuf schema files (.proto) or descriptor files are obtained - look for external/untrusted sources, network downloads, or user uploads
    Affected if Protobuf schemas come from untrusted or external sources without validation
  4. Inspect generated JavaScript output
    Examine output from pbjs generation for suspicious identifiers - look for unexpected function names, property access patterns, or code-like strings in the generated file
    Affected if Generated output contains unsanitized identifiers derived from schema names (namespace, enum, service, or full names)

You are affected if protobufjs-cli version is below 1.2.1 or between 2.0.0-2.0.1 AND pbjs is used to process protobuf schemas, especially from untrusted sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.2.1 / 2.0.2 or later
Fixed in 1.2.12.0.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade protobufjs-cli to version 1.2.1 or 2.0.2 or later to obtain the fixed version with proper identifier sanitization during code generation.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to protobufjs-cli version 1.2.1 (for 1.x line) or 2.0.2 (for 2.x line)

  1. Check current version of protobufjs-cli in your project by running: npm list protobufjs-cli or yarn list protobufjs-cli
  2. If you are on protobufjs-cli version 1.x.x (before 1.2.1), upgrade to version 1.2.1 or later using: npm install protobufjs-cli@^1.2.1 or yarn upgrade protobufjs-cli@^1.2.1
  3. If you are on protobufjs-cli version 2.x.x (2.0.0 or 2.0.1), upgrade to version 2.0.2 or later using: npm install protobufjs-cli@^2.0.2 or yarn upgrade protobufjs-cli@^2.0.2
  4. After upgrading, regenerate your protobuf JavaScript files using pbjs to confirm the tool works correctly with the patched version
  5. Review generated JavaScript files to ensure identifiers are properly sanitized
Caveat No breaking changes expected; this is a security patch release with bug fixes only

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Protobufjs Cli Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-44295 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data