jackson-databind: Duration XMLGregorianCalendar Unbounded Number Parse DoS

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-68497: 0.63% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 50.15 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary jackson-databind 3.2.1 deserializes a JSON string bound to a javax.xml.datatype.Duration or javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar field by passing the raw string verbatim to DatatypeFactory.newDuration(value) / newXMLGregorianCalendar(value). Per the XML-Schema lexical grammar these factory methods accept numeric components of arbitrary length, which the JDK materializes into java.math.BigInteger / BigDecimal using the native BigInteger(String) constructor (an O(n²) parser). Because the digits reside inside a JSON string token, jackson-core's StreamReadConstraints.maxNumberLength guard (which bounds only JSON number tokens) never fires, so there is no length limit anywhere on this path. An unauthenticated attacker can submit a single small request (e.g. ~1–5 MB) that forces tens of seconds to minutes of single-thread CPU consumption, yielding a denial of service under the default JsonMapper.builder().build() mapper with no polymorphic typing or special configuration.…

Published by the source

28 Sep 2026, 20:19 UTC

Last modified by the source

28 Sep 2026, 20:30 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:56 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-68497

Advisory: jackson-databind: Duration XMLGregorianCalendar Unbounded Number Parse DoS
IDs: CVE-2026-68497, GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-68497 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:56 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind 3.2.2, 3.1.6; com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind 2.22.2, 2.21.6, 2.18.10. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind: affected >= 3.2.0, < 3.2.2; >= 3.0.0, < 3.1.6; fixed in 3.1.6, 3.2.2
- Maven com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind: affected >= 2.14.0, < 2.18.10; >= 2.19.0, < 2.21.6; >= 2.22.0, < 2.22.2; fixed in 2.22.2, 2.21.6, 2.18.10

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Maven com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind, com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7 (OSV record GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7 lists affected ranges: Maven tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind >=3.2.0 =3.0.0 =2.14.0 =2.19.0 =2.22.0 <2.22.2 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-q4xh-88c3-wmh7 lists affected ranges: Maven tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind >=3.2.0 =3.0.0 =2.14.0 =2.19.0 =2.22.0 <2.22.2)

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