CVE-2023-53154Public exploit

Application crash via missing object-member bounds check

Published May 23, 2025 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Out-of-bounds read in cJSON before 1.7.18 allows local users to crash an application by supplying a truncated JSON object. When cJSON_ParseWithLength parses an object ending after a comma, parse_object advances to a missing member name and parse_string reads beyond the bounded heap buffer because no accessibility check precedes the read. The application must pass attacker-controlled, non-null-terminated input to cJSON_ParseWithLength; the demonstrated consequence is an AddressSanitizer-detected abort, not data disclosure or code execution.

CVSS severity2.9
Low
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds read in cJSON before 1.7.18 allows local users to crash an application by supplying a truncated JSON object. When cJSON_ParseWithLength parses an object ending after a comma, parse_object advances to a missing member name and parse_string reads beyond the bounded heap buffer because no accessibility check precedes the read. The application must pass attacker-controlled, non-null-terminated input to cJSON_ParseWithLength; the demonstrated consequence is an AddressSanitizer-detected abort, not data disclosure or code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53154
Published
May 23, 2025
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
cJSON Project
Product
cJSON
Classifications
CWE-125, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 23, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.7.18

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

cJSON Project · cJSONversion=0 <1.7.18

Published CVSS scores

5.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.1SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
2.9MITRECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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