GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr

Suggest an improvement
Source
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr
Import Source
https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/09/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr
Aliases
Published
2026-09-17T20:32:16Z
Modified
2026-09-17T20:45:05Z
Severity
  • 7.5 (High) CVSS_V3 - CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H CVSS Calculator
Summary
HAPI FHIR: SHCParser unbounded DEFLATE decompression causes denial of service
Details

Summary

SHCParser inflates compressed Smart Health Card JWT payloads into memory without a decompressed-size limit. An attacker who can submit SHC content for validation can craft a small compressed JWT payload that expands to a very large byte array, causing memory exhaustion or severe garbage collection pressure.

Details

The vulnerable code is in org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java.

decodeJWT() checks MAX_ALLOWED_SHC_LENGTH, but this only logs an error and parsing continues:

// SHCParser.java:282-284
if (jwt.length() > MAX_ALLOWED_SHC_LENGTH) {
  logError(...);
}

If the header contains "zip":"DEF", the payload is inflated before JSON parsing:

// SHCParser.java:300-304
if ("DEF".equals(res.header.asString("zip"))) {
  payloadJson = inflate(payloadJson);
}
res.payload = JsonParser.parseObject(FileUtilities.bytesToString(payloadJson), true);

inflate() accumulates all decompressed output in a ByteArrayOutputStream and has no maximum output size:

// SHCParser.java:455-468
while (!inflater.finished()) {
  final int count = inflater.inflate(buffer);
  outputStream.write(buffer, 0, count);
}
return outputStream.toByteArray();

The same unbounded decompression pattern exists in decompress() at SHCParser.java:410-423.

PoC

Create a highly compressible SHC-shaped JSON payload, compress it with raw DEFLATE (new Deflater(9, true)), Base64URL-encode it as the JWT payload, and set the JWT header to {"zip":"DEF"}.

Local verification measured the following expansion through SHCParser.inflate():

plain=1000066 compressed=1052 inflated=1000066 ratio=950
plain=16000066 compressed=15626 inflated=16000066 ratio=1023

A small compressed payload can therefore allocate many megabytes of heap. Larger payloads can trigger OutOfMemoryError or process instability.

Impact

This is a denial-of-service vulnerability. Any validator service or application that accepts attacker-supplied SHC content can be forced to allocate excessive heap memory. Impact ranges from request failure and severe GC pressure to process termination.

Credits

  • Thai Son Dinh from VinSOC Labs (R&D)
Database specific 
{
    "cwe_ids": [
        "CWE-20",
        "CWE-400",
        "CWE-409"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-09-17T20:32:16Z",
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-09-16T19:17:44Z",
    "severity": "HIGH"
}
References

Affected packages

Maven
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:org.hl7.fhir.r5

Package

Name
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:org.hl7.fhir.r5
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:maven/ca.uhn.hapi.fhir/org.hl7.fhir.r5

Affected ranges

Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
0 Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Fixed
6.9.12

Affected versions

0.*
0.0.1
0.0.2
0.0.14
0.1.18
1.*
1.0.0
1.1.67
4.*
4.0.0
4.0.1
4.0.2
4.0.3
4.1.0
4.2.0
5.*
5.0.0
5.0.7
5.0.8
5.0.9
5.0.10
5.0.11
5.0.12
5.0.13
5.0.14
5.0.15
5.0.16
5.0.17
5.0.18
5.0.19
5.0.20
5.0.21
5.0.22
5.1.0
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.1.3
5.1.4
5.1.5
5.1.6
5.1.7
5.1.8
5.1.9
5.1.10
5.1.11
5.1.12
5.1.13
5.1.14
5.1.15
5.1.16
5.1.17
5.1.18
5.1.19
5.1.20
5.1.21
5.1.22
5.2.0
5.2.1
5.2.3
5.2.4
5.2.5
5.2.7
5.2.8
5.2.9
5.2.10
5.2.11
5.2.12
5.2.13
5.2.16
5.2.18
5.2.19
5.2.20
5.3.0
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.3.4
5.3.5
5.3.6
5.3.7
5.3.8
5.3.9
5.3.10
5.3.11
5.3.12
5.3.14
5.4.0
5.4.1
5.4.2
5.4.3
5.4.4
5.4.5
5.4.6
5.4.7
5.4.8
5.4.9
5.4.10
5.4.11
5.4.12
5.5.1
5.5.2
5.5.3
5.5.4
5.5.6
5.5.7
5.5.8
5.5.9
5.5.10
5.5.11
5.5.12
5.5.13
5.5.14
5.5.15
5.5.16
5.6.0
5.6.1
5.6.2
5.6.3
5.6.4
5.6.5
5.6.6
5.6.7
5.6.9
5.6.12
5.6.13
5.6.15
5.6.17
5.6.18
5.6.19
5.6.20
5.6.21
5.6.22
5.6.23
5.6.24
5.6.25
5.6.26
5.6.27
5.6.28
5.6.29
5.6.30
5.6.31
5.6.32
5.6.33
5.6.34
5.6.35
5.6.36
5.6.37
5.6.38
5.6.39
5.6.40
5.6.41
5.6.42
5.6.43
5.6.44
5.6.45
5.6.46
5.6.47
5.6.48
5.6.50
5.6.51
5.6.52
5.6.53
5.6.54
5.6.55
5.6.56
5.6.57
5.6.58
5.6.59
5.6.60
5.6.61
5.6.62
5.6.63
5.6.64
5.6.65
5.6.66
5.6.67
5.6.68
5.6.69
5.6.70
5.6.71
5.6.72
5.6.73
5.6.74
5.6.75
5.6.76
5.6.77
5.6.78
5.6.79
5.6.80
5.6.81
5.6.82
5.6.83
5.6.84
5.6.85
5.6.86
5.6.87
5.6.88
5.6.89
5.6.90
5.6.91
5.6.92
5.6.93
5.6.94
5.6.95
5.6.96
5.6.97
5.6.98
5.6.99
5.6.100
5.6.101
5.6.102
5.6.103
5.6.104
5.6.105
5.6.106
5.6.107
5.6.108
5.6.109
5.6.110
5.6.111
5.6.112
5.6.113
5.6.114
5.6.115
5.6.116
5.6.117
5.6.881
5.6.971
6.*
6.0.0
6.0.1
6.0.2
6.0.3
6.0.4
6.0.5
6.0.6
6.0.7
6.0.8
6.0.9
6.0.10
6.0.11
6.0.12
6.0.13
6.0.14
6.0.15
6.0.16
6.0.17
6.0.18
6.0.19
6.0.20
6.0.21
6.0.22
6.0.22.1
6.0.22.2
6.0.23
6.0.24
6.0.25
6.1.0
6.1.1
6.1.2
6.1.2.1
6.1.2.2
6.1.3
6.1.4
6.1.5
6.1.6
6.1.7
6.1.8
6.1.9
6.1.10
6.1.11
6.1.12
6.1.13
6.1.14
6.1.15
6.1.16
6.2.0
6.2.1
6.2.2
6.2.3
6.2.4
6.2.5
6.2.6
6.2.6.1
6.2.7
6.2.8
6.2.9
6.2.10
6.2.11
6.2.12
6.2.13
6.2.14
6.2.15
6.3.0
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.3.4
6.3.5
6.3.6
6.3.7
6.3.8
6.3.9
6.3.10
6.3.11
6.3.12
6.3.13
6.3.14
6.3.15
6.3.16
6.3.17
6.3.18
6.3.19
6.3.20
6.3.21
6.3.22
6.3.23
6.3.24
6.3.25
6.3.26
6.3.27
6.3.28
6.3.29
6.3.30
6.3.31
6.3.32
6.4.0
6.4.1
6.4.2
6.4.3
6.4.4
6.5.0
6.5.1
6.5.2
6.5.3
6.5.4
6.5.5
6.5.6
6.5.7
6.5.8
6.5.9
6.5.10
6.5.11
6.5.12
6.5.13
6.5.14
6.5.15
6.5.16
6.5.17
6.5.18
6.5.18.1
6.5.19
6.5.20
6.5.21
6.5.22
6.5.23
6.5.24
6.5.25
6.5.26
6.5.27
6.5.28
6.6.0
6.6.1
6.6.2
6.6.3
6.6.4
6.6.5
6.6.6
6.6.7
6.7.0
6.7.1
6.7.2
6.7.3
6.7.4
6.7.5
6.7.6
6.7.7
6.7.8
6.7.9
6.7.10
6.7.11
6.8.0
6.8.1
6.8.2
6.9.0
6.9.1
6.9.2
6.9.3
6.9.4
6.9.4.1
6.9.4.2
6.9.5
6.9.6
6.9.7
6.9.8
6.9.9
6.9.10
6.9.11

Database specific

last_known_affected_version_range 
"<= 6.9.11"
source 
"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/09/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr.json"
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:org.hl7.fhir.validation

Package

Name
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:org.hl7.fhir.validation
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:maven/ca.uhn.hapi.fhir/org.hl7.fhir.validation

Affected ranges

Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
0 Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Fixed
6.9.12

Affected versions

0.*
0.0.1
0.0.2
0.0.14
0.1.18
1.*
1.0.0
1.1.67
4.*
4.0.0
4.0.1
4.0.2
4.0.3
4.1.0
4.2.0
5.*
5.0.0
5.0.7
5.0.8
5.0.9
5.0.10
5.0.11
5.0.12
5.0.13
5.0.14
5.0.15
5.0.16
5.0.17
5.0.18
5.0.19
5.0.20
5.0.21
5.0.22
5.1.0
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.1.3
5.1.4
5.1.5
5.1.6
5.1.7
5.1.8
5.1.9
5.1.10
5.1.11
5.1.12
5.1.13
5.1.14
5.1.15
5.1.16
5.1.17
5.1.18
5.1.19
5.1.20
5.1.21
5.1.22
5.2.0
5.2.1
5.2.3
5.2.4
5.2.5
5.2.7
5.2.8
5.2.9
5.2.10
5.2.11
5.2.12
5.2.13
5.2.16
5.2.18
5.2.19
5.2.20
5.3.0
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.3.4
5.3.5
5.3.6
5.3.7
5.3.8
5.3.9
5.3.10
5.3.11
5.3.12
5.3.14
5.4.0
5.4.1
5.4.2
5.4.3
5.4.4
5.4.5
5.4.6
5.4.7
5.4.8
5.4.9
5.4.10
5.4.11
5.4.12
5.5.1
5.5.2
5.5.3
5.5.4
5.5.6
5.5.7
5.5.8
5.5.9
5.5.10
5.5.11
5.5.12
5.5.13
5.5.14
5.5.15
5.5.16
5.6.0
5.6.1
5.6.2
5.6.3
5.6.4
5.6.5
5.6.6
5.6.7
5.6.9
5.6.12
5.6.13
5.6.15
5.6.17
5.6.18
5.6.19
5.6.20
5.6.21
5.6.22
5.6.23
5.6.24
5.6.25
5.6.26
5.6.27
5.6.28
5.6.29
5.6.30
5.6.31
5.6.32
5.6.33
5.6.34
5.6.35
5.6.36
5.6.37
5.6.38
5.6.39
5.6.40
5.6.41
5.6.42
5.6.43
5.6.44
5.6.45
5.6.46
5.6.47
5.6.48
5.6.50
5.6.51
5.6.52
5.6.53
5.6.54
5.6.55
5.6.56
5.6.57
5.6.58
5.6.59
5.6.60
5.6.61
5.6.62
5.6.63
5.6.64
5.6.65
5.6.66
5.6.67
5.6.68
5.6.69
5.6.70
5.6.71
5.6.72
5.6.73
5.6.74
5.6.75
5.6.76
5.6.77
5.6.78
5.6.79
5.6.80
5.6.81
5.6.82
5.6.83
5.6.84
5.6.85
5.6.86
5.6.87
5.6.88
5.6.89
5.6.90
5.6.91
5.6.92
5.6.93
5.6.94
5.6.95
5.6.96
5.6.97
5.6.98
5.6.99
5.6.100
5.6.101
5.6.102
5.6.103
5.6.104
5.6.105
5.6.106
5.6.107
5.6.108
5.6.109
5.6.110
5.6.111
5.6.112
5.6.113
5.6.114
5.6.115
5.6.116
5.6.117
5.6.881
5.6.971
6.*
6.0.0
6.0.1
6.0.2
6.0.3
6.0.4
6.0.5
6.0.6
6.0.7
6.0.8
6.0.9
6.0.10
6.0.11
6.0.12
6.0.13
6.0.14
6.0.15
6.0.16
6.0.17
6.0.18
6.0.19
6.0.20
6.0.21
6.0.22
6.0.22.1
6.0.22.2
6.0.23
6.0.24
6.0.25
6.1.0
6.1.1
6.1.2
6.1.2.1
6.1.2.2
6.1.3
6.1.4
6.1.5
6.1.6
6.1.7
6.1.8
6.1.9
6.1.10
6.1.11
6.1.12
6.1.13
6.1.14
6.1.15
6.1.16
6.2.0
6.2.1
6.2.2
6.2.3
6.2.4
6.2.5
6.2.6
6.2.6.1
6.2.7
6.2.8
6.2.9
6.2.10
6.2.11
6.2.12
6.2.13
6.2.14
6.2.15
6.3.0
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.3.4
6.3.5
6.3.6
6.3.7
6.3.8
6.3.9
6.3.10
6.3.11
6.3.12
6.3.13
6.3.14
6.3.15
6.3.16
6.3.17
6.3.18
6.3.19
6.3.20
6.3.21
6.3.22
6.3.23
6.3.24
6.3.25
6.3.26
6.3.27
6.3.28
6.3.29
6.3.30
6.3.31
6.3.32
6.4.0
6.4.1
6.4.2
6.4.3
6.4.4
6.5.0
6.5.1
6.5.2
6.5.3
6.5.4
6.5.5
6.5.6
6.5.7
6.5.8
6.5.9
6.5.10
6.5.11
6.5.12
6.5.13
6.5.14
6.5.15
6.5.16
6.5.17
6.5.18
6.5.18.1
6.5.19
6.5.20
6.5.21
6.5.22
6.5.23
6.5.24
6.5.25
6.5.26
6.5.27
6.5.28
6.6.0
6.6.1
6.6.2
6.6.3
6.6.4
6.6.5
6.6.6
6.6.7
6.7.0
6.7.1
6.7.2
6.7.3
6.7.4
6.7.5
6.7.6
6.7.7
6.7.8
6.7.9
6.7.10
6.7.11
6.8.0
6.8.1
6.8.2
6.9.0
6.9.1
6.9.2
6.9.3
6.9.4
6.9.4.1
6.9.4.2
6.9.5
6.9.6
6.9.7
6.9.8
6.9.9
6.9.10
6.9.11

Database specific

last_known_affected_version_range 
"<= 6.9.11"
source 
"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/09/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr.json"
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:org.hl7.fhir.validation.cli

Package

Name
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:org.hl7.fhir.validation.cli
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:maven/ca.uhn.hapi.fhir/org.hl7.fhir.validation.cli

Affected ranges

Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
0 Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Last Affected
5.0.0

Affected versions

4.*
4.0.0
4.0.1
4.0.2
4.0.3
4.1.0
4.2.0
5.*
5.0.0

Database specific

source 
"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/09/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr/GHSA-3w98-rrpr-fprr.json"