Go Markdown has an Out-of-bounds Read in SmartypantsRenderer

### Summary Processing a malformed input containing a `<` character that is not followed by a `>` character anywhere in the remaining text with a SmartypantsRenderer will lead to Out of Bounds read or a panic. ### Details The `smartLeftAngle()` function in `html/smartypants.go:367-376` performs an out-of-bounds slice operation when processing a `<` character that is not followed by a `>` character anywhere in the remaining text. https://github.com/gomarkdown/markdown/blob/37c66b85d6ab025ba67a73ba03b7f3ef55859cca/html/smartypants.go#L367-L376 If the length of the slice is lower than its capacity, this leads to an extra byte of data read. If the length equals the capacity, this leads to a panic. ### PoC ```golang package main import ( "bytes" "fmt" "github.com/gomarkdown/markdown/html" ) func main() { src := []byte("<a") fmt.Printf("Input: %q (len=%d, cap=%d)\n", src, len(src), cap(src)) var buf bytes.Buffer sp := html.NewSmartypantsRenderer(html.Smartypants) sp.Process(&buf, src) // panics: slice bounds out of range fmt.Printf("Output: %q\n", buf.String()) } ``` ### Impact This vulnerability will lead to a Denial of Service / panic on the processing service. -- The Datadog Security Team

Source published

14 Apr 2026 22:38:20 UTC

Source modified

10 Sep 2026 03:50:43 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:19:41 UTC

Source terms

GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

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This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Publisher rating · HIGH