CVE-2023-28118
kaml has potential denial of service while parsing input with anchors and aliases
kaml provides YAML support for kotlinx.serialization. Prior to version 0.53.0, applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash. Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases. There are no known workarounds.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
kaml has potential denial of service while parsing input with anchors and aliases
kaml provides YAML support for kotlinx.serialization. Prior to version 0.53.0, applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash. Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases. There are no known workarounds.
- Record
CVE-2023-28118- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-776
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-0975
kaml provides YAML support for kotlinx.serialization. Prior to version 0.53.0, applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash. Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases. There are no known workarounds.
- Record
EUVD-2023-0975- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-c24f-2j3g-rg48
kaml has potential denial of service while parsing input with anchors and aliases
Impact
Applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash.
Patches
Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases.
Workarounds
None.
References
Wikipedia has an explanation of this class of vulnerability: billion laughs attack
Acknowledgements
Thank you to @gdude2002 for reporting this issue.
- Record
GHSA-c24f-2j3g-rg48- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-776
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
kaml provides YAML support for kotlinx.serialization. Prior to version 0.53.0, applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash. Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases. There are no known workarounds.
- Record
CVE-2023-28118- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-776
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
kaml has potential denial of service while parsing input with anchors and aliases
kaml provides YAML support for kotlinx.serialization. Prior to version 0.53.0, applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash. Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases. There are no known workarounds.
- Record
CVE-2023-28118- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-776
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-c24f-2j3g-rg48
kaml has potential denial of service while parsing input with anchors and aliases
Impact
Applications that use kaml to parse untrusted input containing anchors and aliases may consume excessive memory and crash.
Patches
Version 0.53.0 and later default to refusing to parse YAML documents containing anchors and aliases.
Workarounds
None.
References
Wikipedia has an explanation of this class of vulnerability: billion laughs attack
Acknowledgements
Thank you to @gdude2002 for reporting this issue.
- Record
GHSA-c24f-2j3g-rg48- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-776
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
com.charleskorn.kaml:kamlMaven |
before 0.53.0 | 0.53.0 |
com.charleskorn.kaml:kamlMaven |
before 0.53.0, plus listed versions 0.1.00.10.00.11.00.12.00.13.0 Show 45 moreShow less0.14.00.15.00.16.10.17.00.18.00.18.10.19.00.2.10.20.00.21.00.22.00.23.00.24.00.25.00.26.00.27.00.28.00.28.10.28.20.28.30.29.00.3.00.30.00.31.00.32.00.33.00.34.00.35.00.35.10.35.20.35.30.36.00.37.00.38.00.39.00.39.10.4.00.40.00.41.00.42.00.43.00.44.00.45.00.46.00.47.0 |
0.53.0 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-28118 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Charleskorn Kaml, published March 20, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.97%, the 62nd percentile. Fixed in com.charleskorn.kaml:kaml 0.53.0.
References
github.com/charleskorn/kaml/security/advisories/GHSA-c24f-2j3g-rg48
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28118
Left out here: 10 versions. The JSON record has them.