CVE-2021-22569

Name: CVE-2021-22569
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-01-10T14:10:16.747+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 1.65%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-22569 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue in protobuf-java allowed the interleaving of com.google.protobuf.UnknownFieldSet fields in such a way that would be processed out of order. A small malicious payload can occupy the parser for several minutes by creating large numbers of short-lived objects that cause frequent, repeated pauses. EPSS estimates a 1.65% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue in protobuf-java allowed the interleaving of com.google.protobuf.UnknownFieldSet fields in such a way that would be processed out of order. A small malicious payload can occupy the parser for several minutes by creating large numbers of short-lived objects that cause frequent, repeated pauses. We recommend upgrading libraries beyond the vulnerable versions.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.65%

73.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-696

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Google	Google-Protobuf	< 3.19.2
Google	Protobuf-Java	< 3.16.1
Google	Protobuf-Java	>= 3.18.0, < 3.18.2
Google	Protobuf-Java	>= 3.19.0, < 3.19.2
Google	Protobuf-Kotlin	< 3.18.2
Google	Protobuf-Kotlin	>= 3.19.0, < 3.19.2
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Console	1.9.0
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Network Repository Function	1.15.0
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Network Repository Function	1.15.1
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Policy	1.15.0
Oracle	Spatial And Graph Mapviewer	19c
Oracle	Spatial And Graph Mapviewer	21c

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/12/4Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/12/7Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=39330Exploit, Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Vendor Advisory
https://cloud.google.com/support/bulletins#gcp-2022-001Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00019.html
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/12/4Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/12/7Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=39330Exploit, Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Vendor Advisory
https://cloud.google.com/support/bulletins#gcp-2022-001Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00019.html
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 10, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-22569?

How severe is CVE-2021-22569?

CVE-2021-22569 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.65% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-22569?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-22569?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST