protobufjs-cli: Code injection in pbjs static output from crafted JSON descriptor names

Overview

Summary

A previous fix for unsafe name handling in pbjs static / static-module code generation was incomplete. Affected versions of protobufjs-cli could still emit unsafe JavaScript references when generating static output from crafted JSON descriptor input. The common case of parsing schemas from .proto files is not affected.

This is a bypass of GHSA-6r35-46g8-jcw9 / CVE-2026-44295.

Impact

An attacker who can provide or influence pre-parsed JSON descriptors passed to pbjs static code generation may be able to cause generated JavaScript output to contain attacker-controlled code.

The injected code may execute if the generated file is later executed or imported and an affected generated API path is invoked.

Preconditions

• The application or build process must run pbjs static code generation on a pre-parsed JSON descriptor influenced by an attacker.
• The generated JavaScript file must subsequently be executed or imported.
• An affected generated API path must be invoked.

Workarounds

Do not run affected versions of pbjs static or static-module generation on untrusted JSON descriptors. If untrusted JSON descriptors must be accepted, validate descriptor-derived names before code generation and reject names that could not have been produced by parsing a valid .proto file. Running code generation in an isolated environment can reduce impact.

Affected packages

• protobufjs-cli <= 1.3.1
• protobufjs-cli >= 2.0.0, <= 2.4.2

Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

• protobufjs-cli 1.3.2
• protobufjs-cli 2.5.0