Denial of service via repeated bracket-stack scans
Published Sep 15, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025
Algorithmic-complexity denial of service in GitHub cmark-gfm before 0.29.0.gfm.6 allows remote attackers to exhaust resources via crafted Markdown. The autolink extension repeatedly walks the active bracket stack in cmark_inline_parser_in_bracket for nested image-link markers instead of tracking bracket state. The consuming application must enable autolinks and parse attacker-controlled Markdown; a crafted repeated marker sequence can monopolize processing and interrupt that service.
Summary
What happened
Algorithmic-complexity denial of service in GitHub cmark-gfm before 0.29.0.gfm.6 allows remote attackers to exhaust resources via crafted Markdown. The autolink extension repeatedly walks the active bracket stack in cmark_inline_parser_in_bracket for nested image-link markers instead of tracking bracket state. The consuming application must enable autolinks and parse attacker-controlled Markdown; a crafted repeated marker sequence can monopolize processing and interrupt that service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-39209
- Published
- Sep 15, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 23, 2025
- Vendor
- Product
- cmark-gfm
- Classifications
- CWE-407, CWE-400, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 15, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 23, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 0.29.0.gfm.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GitHub advisory resource-exhaustion reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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