opentelemetry-java: Quadratic CPU consumption in W3C tracestate parsing
opentelemetry-java is the Java implementation of the OpenTelemetry API for recording telemetry, and SDK for managing telemetry recorded by the API. Prior to 1.67.0, W3CTraceContextPropagator.extract() uses regex delimiter processing that can exhibit quadratic backtracking while parsing tracestate headers containing long runs of spaces or tabs without a following comma. An unauthenticated attacker whose headers reach extraction can repeatedly block request or event-loop threads and cause excessive CPU consumption, with practical impact bounded by ingress header-size limits, proxy configuration, and threading. This issue is fixed in version 1.67.0.
- Products
- opentelemetry-java
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- Not specified
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-118259
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 2 Nov 2026, 02:37 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
opentelemetry-java: Quadratic CPU consumption in W3C tracestate parsing
core-cve · Original sourcePublished 28 Oct 2026, 18:53 UTC
opentelemetry-java is the Java implementation of the OpenTelemetry API for recording telemetry, and SDK for managing telemetry recorded by the API. Prior to 1.67.0, W3CTraceContextPropagator.extract() uses regex delimiter processing that can exhibit quadratic backtracking while parsing tracestate headers containing long runs of spaces or tabs without a following comma. An unauthenticated attacker whose headers reach extraction can repeatedly block request or event-loop threads and cause excessive CPU consumption, with practical impact bounded by ingress header-size limits, proxy configuration, and threading. This issue is fixed in version 1.67.0.
cve:CVE-2026-118259
opentelemetry-java
Fixed versions: Not specified
Complete source record
{
"id": "da396672aa3faddda56dbe545cc55b53f0716887e09b5ed543d8b0b378a29d25",
"url": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-118259",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "opentelemetry-java: Quadratic CPU consumption in W3C tracestate parsing",
"summary": "opentelemetry-java is the Java implementation of the OpenTelemetry API for recording telemetry, and SDK for managing telemetry recorded by the API. Prior to 1.67.0, W3CTraceContextPropagator.extract() uses regex delimiter processing that can exhibit quadratic backtracking while parsing tracestate headers containing long runs of spaces or tabs without a following comma. An unauthenticated attacker whose headers reach extraction can repeatedly block request or event-loop threads and cause excessive CPU consumption, with practical impact bounded by ingress header-size limits, proxy configuration, and threading. This issue is fixed in version 1.67.0.",
"evidence": "cve:CVE-2026-118259",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "opentelemetry-java",
"evidence": "/containers/cna/affected/0/product"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": []
}
],
"severity": "medium",
"structured": {
"id": "CVE-2026-118259",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-118259"
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"version": "3.1",
"baseScore": 5.3,
"attackVector": "NETWORK",
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "LOW",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
}
}
],
"affected": [
{
"vendor": "open-telemetry",
"product": "opentelemetry-java",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "< 1.67.0"
}
]
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-28T18:53:25.875Z",
"provider": "cve",
"references": [
"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/security/advisories/GHSA-ccrj-gw8r-854m",
"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/pull/8914",
"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/commit/ba4dfea91647d1ef596975db5d7197681df3c0f5",
"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/commit/cc4f5f22aed0d69369941cde8029e73507cf438f",
"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/releases/tag/v1.67.0"
],
"provider_metadata": {
"cna": {
"orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
"shortName": "GitHub_M",
"dateUpdated": "2026-10-28T18:53:25.875Z"
}
}
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2026-118259",
"evidence": "/cveMetadata/cveId"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": "/containers/cna/metrics"
},
"source_id": "core-cve",
"document_id": 477102,
"published_at": "2026-10-28T18:53:25.875+00:00"
}