Process crash via unprotected cached parser keys
Published Jun 30, 2026 · Updated Jul 1, 2026
Use-after-free in Oj before 3.17.2 allows remote attackers to crash a consuming process through crafted JSON parsed in SAJ mode. The parser retains a heap-backed Ruby String for object keys of at least 35 bytes without protecting it from garbage collection during the hash_end callback. If that callback triggers collection, C code later dereferences the reclaimed VALUE, causing a segmentation fault in the consuming process.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Oj before 3.17.2 allows remote attackers to crash a consuming process through crafted JSON parsed in SAJ mode. The parser retains a heap-backed Ruby String for object keys of at least 35 bytes without protecting it from garbage collection during the hash_end callback. If that callback triggers collection, C code later dereferences the reclaimed VALUE, causing a segmentation fault in the consuming process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-54902
- Published
- Jun 30, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 1, 2026
- Vendor
- Peter Ohler
- Product
- Oj
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 30, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 1, 2026Record 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=< 3.17.2
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.
Public exploit references
- Upstream SAJ long-key crash reproductionproof of concept · demonstrated
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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