---
title: "CVE-2015-5237\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-5237?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2015-5237

Publication date 25 September 2017

Last updated 26 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**8.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-5237?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

protobuf allows remote authenticated attackers to cause a heap-based buffer
overflow.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-5237?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| protobuf | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not affected |
| 25.10 questing | Not affected |
| 25.04 plucky | Not affected |
| 24.10 oracular | Not affected |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not affected |
| 23.10 mantic | Not affected |
| 23.04 lunar | Not affected |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not affected |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not affected |
| 21.10 impish | Not affected |
| 21.04 hirsute | Ignored end of life |
| 20.10 groovy | Ignored end of life |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not affected |
| 19.10 eoan | Ignored end of life |
| 19.04 disco | Ignored end of life |
| 18.10 cosmic | Ignored end of life |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Vulnerable |
| 17.10 artful | Ignored end of life |
| 17.04 zesty | Ignored end of life |
| 16.10 yakkety | Ignored end of life |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 2.6.1-1.3ubuntu0.1~esm2  Ubuntu Pro |
| 15.10 wily | Ignored end of life |
| 15.04 vivid | Ignored end of life |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Vulnerable |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

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## Notes

---

### [seth-arnold](https://launchpad.net/~seth-arnold)

since the message parsing limit defaults
to 64 megabytes a software author would have to change the limit in order
to handle larger messages anyway, and is thus unlikely to generate these
messages in the short-term. (There is no actual limit on generation, so
this might be an issue today -- it is just not a priority for the
maintainer.)

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

per upstream bug, this was fixed in 3.4.0

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

8.8 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | Low |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 8.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

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

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2015-5237)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5237)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2015-5237)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2015-5237)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-5769-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-5769-1)
+ protobuf vulnerabilities
+ 8 December 2022

### Other references

* <https://github.com/google/protobuf/issues/760>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-5237>