GitHub Advisoryadvisory · RubyGems
GHSA-vwm4-62gf-x745 Oj: Use-After-Free in Oj::Parser array_class/hash_class GC Marking
HIGH
Official page ↗
- Aliases
- CVE-2026-54901
- Ecosystem
- RubyGems
- Packages
- oj
- Severity
- High
- CVSS vector
- 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
- Weaknesses
- CWE-416
- Reviewed
- 2026-06-19
Affected packages
• RubyGems oj: < 3.17.3 → fixed in 3.17.3
Description
Summary
`Oj::Parser` in usual mode does not mark `array_class` and `hash_class` references during garbage collection. If GC runs after the class is assigned but before a parse, the class object is reclaimed, leaving the parser holding a dangling VALUE. The subsequent `parse` call dereferences the freed object, producing a segfault.
Version
• Software: oj gem
• Affected: all versions with `ext/oj/usual.c` / `ext/oj/parser.c`
• Latest tested: 3.17.1 (confirmed present)
Details
The `parser_mark` function in `ext/oj/parser.c` is registered as the GC mark callback for the parser's `TypedData`. If `array_class` (stored as `d->array_class` in the `Usual` struct) is not passed to `rb_gc_mark`, the GC does not know it is referenced and may collect it.
When `close_array_class` (`usual.c:405`) later calls `rb_funcallv` on the collected class VALUE, it accesses freed memory, crashing at `RIP: 0x7f... / 0x0000000000000000`.
Crash output:
```
array_class finalized
about to parse
[BUG] Segmentation fault at 0x0000000000000000
close_array_class+0x194 /ext/oj/usual.c:405
parse+0x17b3 /ext/oj/parser.c:715
parser_parse+0x10b /ext/oj/parser.c:1408
RIP: 0x7fd1b46d68b7 RBP: 0x0000000000000000
```
Reproduce
```ruby
require 'oj'
p = Oj::Parser.new(:usual,
array_class: (ac = Class.new { def <<(_x); end }))
ObjectSpace.define_finalizer(ac, proc { warn 'array_class finalized' })
ac = nil
GC.start(full_mark: true, immediate_sweep: true) # collect the class
p.parse('[1]') # segfault
```
Related
Alias · CVE (1)
- CVE-2026-54901 Oj (Optimized JSON) is a JSON parser and Object marshaller packaged as a Ruby gem. vulnerability
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-416 Use After Free weakness