{"schema_version":"1.7.3","id":"GHSA-8pgv-569h-w5rw","published":"2023-11-12T15:55:39Z","modified":"2026-02-04T02:24:53.821890Z","aliases":["CVE-2023-47108","GO-2023-2331"],"related":["CGA-8m9j-g9wq-c83w"],"summary":"otelgrpc DoS vulnerability due to unbound cardinality metrics ","details":"### Summary\n\nThe grpc Unary Server Interceptor [opentelemetry-go-contrib/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/interceptor.go](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/blob/9d4eb7e7706038b07d33f83f76afbe13f53d171d/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/interceptor.go#L327)\n\n```\n// UnaryServerInterceptor returns a grpc.UnaryServerInterceptor suitable\n// for use in a grpc.NewServer call.\nfunc UnaryServerInterceptor(opts ...Option) grpc.UnaryServerInterceptor {\n```\n  \nout of the box adds labels\n\n- `net.peer.sock.addr`\n- `net.peer.sock.port`\n\nthat have unbound cardinality. It leads to the server's potential memory exhaustion when many malicious requests are sent.\n\n### Details\n\nAn attacker can easily flood the peer address and port for requests.  \n\n### PoC\n\nApply the attached patch to the example and run the client multiple times.  Observe how each request will create a unique histogram and how the memory consumption increases during it.\n### Impact\n\nIn order to be affected, the program has to configure a metrics pipeline, use  [UnaryServerInterceptor](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/blob/9d4eb7e7706038b07d33f83f76afbe13f53d171d/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/interceptor.go#L327), and does not filter any client IP address and ports via middleware or proxies, etc.\n\n### Others\n\nIt is similar to already reported vulnerabilities.\n\n* [GHSA-rcjv-mgp8-qvmr](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/security/advisories/GHSA-rcjv-mgp8-qvmr) ([open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib))\n- [GHSA-5r5m-65gx-7vrh](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/security/advisories/GHSA-5r5m-65gx-7vrh \"GHSA-5r5m-65gx-7vrh\") ([open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib))\n- [GHSA-cg3q-j54f-5p7p](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cg3q-j54f-5p7p \"GHSA-cg3q-j54f-5p7p\") ([prometheus/client_golang](https://github.com/prometheus/client_golang))\n\n### Workaround for affected versions\n\nAs a workaround to stop being affected, a view removing the attributes can be used.\n\nThe other possibility is to disable grpc metrics instrumentation by passing [`otelgrpc.WithMeterProvider`](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/blob/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/v0.45.0/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/config.go#L138) option with [`noop.NewMeterProvider`](https://pkg.go.dev/go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric/noop#NewMeterProvider).\n\n### Solution provided by upgrading\n\nIn PR [#4322](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/pull/4322), to be released with v0.46.0, the attributes were removed.\n\n### References\n\n- [#4322](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/pull/4322)","affected":[{"package":{"name":"go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc","ecosystem":"Go","purl":"pkg:golang/go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc"},"ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0.37.0"},{"fixed":"0.46.0"}]}],"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2023/11/GHSA-8pgv-569h-w5rw/GHSA-8pgv-569h-w5rw.json"}}],"references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/security/advisories/GHSA-8pgv-569h-w5rw"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-47108"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/pull/4322"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/commit/04c5dcbb5b35f14b4e6793b245919c72addbc7d0"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/commit/b44dfc9092b157625a5815cb437583cee663333b"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/blob/9d4eb7e7706038b07d33f83f76afbe13f53d171d/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/interceptor.go#L327"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/blob/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/v0.45.0/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/config.go#L138"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://pkg.go.dev/go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric/noop#NewMeterProvider"}],"database_specific":{"cwe_ids":["CWE-770"],"github_reviewed":true,"github_reviewed_at":"2023-11-12T15:55:39Z","nvd_published_at":"2023-11-10T19:15:16Z","severity":"HIGH"},"severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"}]}