UBJSON/BJData reader: reject a container count equal to SIZE_MAX

The reader marks a container whose count is not known by npos, which
is SIZE_MAX. A count of exactly that value was stored unchanged and
then read as "no count", so the BJData input

    [ # M ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff i 01 ]

parsed as [1] instead of throwing out_of_range.408 as a count of
2^64-2 does. Where size_t is 32 bits, the same holds for 'm' and 'L'
counts of 2^32-1, in UBJSON too.

The counts of 'm', 'M' and the signed types now go through
store_ubjson_count(), which rejects npos with "integer value overflow"
(the message a count beyond size_t already gets), as the CBOR reader
does in get_cbor_container_size(). An ND-array dimension of 2^64-1 gets
the same message now, where it was "excessive ndarray size caused
overflow" (the product check) on 64-bit platforms.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

.github/workflows/cancel_closed_pr_runs.yml

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       actions: write
 
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
 
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner

.github/workflows/check_amalgamation.yml

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   save:
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner
         uses: step-security/harden-runner@dc2769abcc0fcfbadfc1df54081c1608579ef6b2 # v2.22.2

.github/workflows/check_docs_links.yml

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   check_docs_links:
     if: github.repository == 'nlohmann/json'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner

.github/workflows/comment_check_amalgamation.yml

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
   comment:
     # push runs on develop have no PR to comment on (and no "pr" artifact)
     if: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'failure' && github.event.workflow_run.event == 'pull_request' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     permissions:
       contents: read
       actions: read

.github/workflows/dependency-review.yml

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   dependency-review:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner
         uses: step-security/harden-runner@dc2769abcc0fcfbadfc1df54081c1608579ef6b2 # v2.22.2

.github/workflows/flawfinder.yml

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   flawfinder:
     name: Flawfinder
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     permissions:
       actions: read
       contents: read

.github/workflows/labeler.yml

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
       pull-requests: write
 
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
 
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner

.github/workflows/publish_documentation.yml

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       contents: write
 
     if: github.repository == 'nlohmann/json'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner
         uses: step-security/harden-runner@dc2769abcc0fcfbadfc1df54081c1608579ef6b2 # v2.22.2

.github/workflows/scorecards.yml

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   analysis:
     name: Scorecard analysis
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     permissions:
       # Needed to upload the results to code-scanning dashboard.
       security-events: write

.github/workflows/stale.yml

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   stale:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
 
     permissions:
       issues: write

.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   ci_test_gcc:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: gcc:latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ${{ matrix.target }}
 
   ci_static_analysis_clang:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: silkeh/clang:22
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ${{ matrix.target }}
 
   ci_cmake_options:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: ubuntu:24.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ jobs:
           fail-on-error: false
 
   ci_test_compilers_gcc_old:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
         compiler: ['4.8', '4.9', '5', '6']
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_test_compiler_g++-${{ matrix.compiler }}
 
   ci_test_compilers_gcc:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
         # older GCC docker images (4, 5, 6) fail to check out code
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_test_compiler_default
 
   ci_test_compilers_clang:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
         compiler: ['3.4', '3.5', '3.6', '3.7', '3.8', '3.9', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '10', '11', '12', '13', '14', '15-bullseye', '16', '17', '18', '19', '20', '21', '22', 'latest']
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_test_compiler_default
 
   ci_test_standards_gcc:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: gcc:latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_test_gcc_cxx${{ matrix.standard }}
 
   ci_test_standards_clang:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: silkeh/clang:latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ matrix.stdlib == 'libstdcxx' }}
 
   ci_cuda_example:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         container: ['gcc:latest', 'silkeh/clang:latest']
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: ${{ matrix.container }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_module_cpp20
 
   ci_icpc:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     # Intel discontinued the classic icc/icpc compiler in oneAPI 2024.0; this is
     # Intel's own last officially published image that still includes it.
     container: intel/oneapi-hpckit:2023.2.1-devel-ubuntu22.04
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_icpc
 
   ci_icpx:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: intel/oneapi-hpckit:latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --target ci_icpx
 
   ci_nvhpc:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     container: nvcr.io/nvidia/nvhpc:25.5-devel-cuda12.9-ubuntu22.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1

include/nlohmann/detail/input/binary_reader.hpp

@@ -467,11 +467,13 @@ class binary_reader
 
             const std::size_t element_type_parse_position = chars_read;
             // an array's elements are named "0", "1", ... in the wire format,
-            // and those names are not passed on: they are skipped unless
-            // error_handler_t::strict must reject ill-formed UTF-8 in them
+            // and those names are not passed on: they are skipped, and only
+            // checked if error_handler_t::strict must reject ill-formed UTF-8
             const bool is_object = container_stack.back().is_object;
             key.clear();
-            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!get_bson_cstr(key, is_object || error_handler == error_handler_t::strict)))
+            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!(is_object || error_handler != error_handler_t::strict
+                                       ? get_bson_cstr(key, is_object)
+                                       : check_bson_cstr(key, std::integral_constant<bool, bulk_scan> {}))))
             {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -495,7 +497,7 @@ class binary_reader
     @param[in] store  whether the characters are needed; if not (the names of
                       an array's elements), they are skipped and @a result may
                       be left unchanged, and they are not checked against
-                      @ref error_handler
+                      @ref error_handler (@ref check_bson_cstr checks them)
     @return `true` if the \\x00-byte indicating the end of the string was
              encountered before the EOF; false` indicates an unexpected EOF.
     */
@@ -554,6 +556,42 @@ class binary_reader
         return true;
     }
 
+    /*!
+    @brief skip a C-style string that error_handler_t::strict must check
+
+    The names of an array's elements are not passed on. On contiguous input,
+    a well-formed name is checked in place and skipped without being copied.
+    Otherwise (no \\x00-byte in the input that can be scanned, or ill-formed
+    UTF-8), it is read by @ref get_bson_cstr, which reports the error.
+
+    @param[in,out] result  an empty string, which may receive the name
+    @return whether the name was read and is well-formed
+    */
+    bool check_bson_cstr(string_t& result, std::true_type /*bulk*/)
+    {
+        const std::size_t remaining = ia.bulk_remaining();
+        if (remaining != 0)
+        {
+            const auto* const data = reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(ia.bulk_data());
+            const std::size_t length = find_zero_byte(data, remaining);
+            if (length != remaining && JSON_HEDLEY_LIKELY(valid_utf8_string(data, length)))
+            {
+                // consume the string and its \x00-byte, as get_bson_cstr does
+                ia.bulk_skip(length + 1);
+                chars_read += length + 1;
+                current = 0x00;
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return get_bson_cstr(result);
+    }
+
+    /// input that is not contiguous: the name is read and checked byte by byte
+    bool check_bson_cstr(string_t& result, std::false_type /*bulk*/)
+    {
+        return get_bson_cstr(result);
+    }
+
     /// input that is not contiguous: C-style strings are read byte by byte
     bool get_bson_cstr_bulk(string_t& /*result*/, const bool /*store*/, std::false_type /*bulk*/) const noexcept
     {
@@ -3085,6 +3123,27 @@ class binary_reader
         return true;
     }
 
+    /*!
+    @brief store the count of an optimized container (or the length of a string)
+
+    A count equal to npos is rejected: npos marks a container whose count is
+    not known, so a count of that value would be read as "no count" (compare
+    get_cbor_container_size()). No container can hold that many elements.
+
+    @param[in]  count   the count read from the input
+    @param[out] result  set to @a count unless it is rejected
+    @return whether @a count is usable
+    */
+    bool store_ubjson_count(const std::size_t count, std::size_t& result)
+    {
+        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(count == npos))
+        {
+            return out_of_range_error(exception_id::container_too_large, "integer value overflow", "size");
+        }
+        result = count;
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /*!
     @brief read a UBJSON/BJData optimized-container count of a signed marker
            type ('i', 'I', 'l', 'L') and narrow it to std::size_t
@@ -3115,8 +3174,7 @@ class binary_reader
         {
             return out_of_range_error(exception_id::container_too_large, "integer value overflow", "size");
         }
-        result = static_cast<std::size_t>(number); // NOLINT(bugprone-signed-char-misuse,cert-str34-c): number is not a char
-        return true;
+        return store_ubjson_count(static_cast<std::size_t>(number), result); // NOLINT(bugprone-signed-char-misuse,cert-str34-c): number is not a char
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -3193,8 +3251,7 @@ class binary_reader
                 {
                     return false;
                 }
-                result = conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number);
-                return true;
+                return store_ubjson_count(conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number), result);
             }
 
             case 'M':
@@ -3212,8 +3269,7 @@ class binary_reader
                 {
                     return out_of_range_error(exception_id::container_too_large, "integer value overflow", "size");
                 }
-                result = detail::conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number);
-                return true;
+                return store_ubjson_count(detail::conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number), result);
             }
 
             case '[':

single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -18474,11 +18474,13 @@ class binary_reader
 
             const std::size_t element_type_parse_position = chars_read;
             // an array's elements are named "0", "1", ... in the wire format,
-            // and those names are not passed on: they are skipped unless
-            // error_handler_t::strict must reject ill-formed UTF-8 in them
+            // and those names are not passed on: they are skipped, and only
+            // checked if error_handler_t::strict must reject ill-formed UTF-8
             const bool is_object = container_stack.back().is_object;
             key.clear();
-            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!get_bson_cstr(key, is_object || error_handler == error_handler_t::strict)))
+            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!(is_object || error_handler != error_handler_t::strict
+                                       ? get_bson_cstr(key, is_object)
+                                       : check_bson_cstr(key, std::integral_constant<bool, bulk_scan> {}))))
             {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -18502,7 +18504,7 @@ class binary_reader
     @param[in] store  whether the characters are needed; if not (the names of
                       an array's elements), they are skipped and @a result may
                       be left unchanged, and they are not checked against
-                      @ref error_handler
+                      @ref error_handler (@ref check_bson_cstr checks them)
     @return `true` if the \\x00-byte indicating the end of the string was
              encountered before the EOF; false` indicates an unexpected EOF.
     */
@@ -18561,6 +18563,42 @@ class binary_reader
         return true;
     }
 
+    /*!
+    @brief skip a C-style string that error_handler_t::strict must check
+
+    The names of an array's elements are not passed on. On contiguous input,
+    a well-formed name is checked in place and skipped without being copied.
+    Otherwise (no \\x00-byte in the input that can be scanned, or ill-formed
+    UTF-8), it is read by @ref get_bson_cstr, which reports the error.
+
+    @param[in,out] result  an empty string, which may receive the name
+    @return whether the name was read and is well-formed
+    */
+    bool check_bson_cstr(string_t& result, std::true_type /*bulk*/)
+    {
+        const std::size_t remaining = ia.bulk_remaining();
+        if (remaining != 0)
+        {
+            const auto* const data = reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(ia.bulk_data());
+            const std::size_t length = find_zero_byte(data, remaining);
+            if (length != remaining && JSON_HEDLEY_LIKELY(valid_utf8_string(data, length)))
+            {
+                // consume the string and its \x00-byte, as get_bson_cstr does
+                ia.bulk_skip(length + 1);
+                chars_read += length + 1;
+                current = 0x00;
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return get_bson_cstr(result);
+    }
+
+    /// input that is not contiguous: the name is read and checked byte by byte
+    bool check_bson_cstr(string_t& result, std::false_type /*bulk*/)
+    {
+        return get_bson_cstr(result);
+    }
+
     /// input that is not contiguous: C-style strings are read byte by byte
     bool get_bson_cstr_bulk(string_t& /*result*/, const bool /*store*/, std::false_type /*bulk*/) const noexcept
     {
@@ -21092,6 +21130,27 @@ class binary_reader
         return true;
     }
 
+    /*!
+    @brief store the count of an optimized container (or the length of a string)
+
+    A count equal to npos is rejected: npos marks a container whose count is
+    not known, so a count of that value would be read as "no count" (compare
+    get_cbor_container_size()). No container can hold that many elements.
+
+    @param[in]  count   the count read from the input
+    @param[out] result  set to @a count unless it is rejected
+    @return whether @a count is usable
+    */
+    bool store_ubjson_count(const std::size_t count, std::size_t& result)
+    {
+        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(count == npos))
+        {
+            return out_of_range_error(exception_id::container_too_large, "integer value overflow", "size");
+        }
+        result = count;
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /*!
     @brief read a UBJSON/BJData optimized-container count of a signed marker
            type ('i', 'I', 'l', 'L') and narrow it to std::size_t
@@ -21122,8 +21181,7 @@ class binary_reader
         {
             return out_of_range_error(exception_id::container_too_large, "integer value overflow", "size");
         }
-        result = static_cast<std::size_t>(number); // NOLINT(bugprone-signed-char-misuse,cert-str34-c): number is not a char
-        return true;
+        return store_ubjson_count(static_cast<std::size_t>(number), result); // NOLINT(bugprone-signed-char-misuse,cert-str34-c): number is not a char
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -21200,8 +21258,7 @@ class binary_reader
                 {
                     return false;
                 }
-                result = conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number);
-                return true;
+                return store_ubjson_count(conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number), result);
             }
 
             case 'M':
@@ -21219,8 +21276,7 @@ class binary_reader
                 {
                     return out_of_range_error(exception_id::container_too_large, "integer value overflow", "size");
                 }
-                result = detail::conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number);
-                return true;
+                return store_ubjson_count(detail::conditional_static_cast<std::size_t>(number), result);
             }
 
             case '[':

tests/src/unit-bjdata.cpp

@@ -3211,14 +3211,34 @@ TEST_CASE("BJData")
 #endif
                 CHECK(json::from_bjdata(vM, true, false).is_discarded());
 
-#if SIZE_MAX != 0xffffffff
-                CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bjdata(vMX), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] syntax error while parsing BJData size: excessive ndarray size caused overflow", json::out_of_range&);
-#else
+                // the first dimension is 2^64-1, which is rejected as a count (see below)
                 CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bjdata(vMX), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] syntax error while parsing BJData size: integer value overflow", json::out_of_range&);
-#endif
                 CHECK(json::from_bjdata(vMX, true, false).is_discarded());
             }
 
+            SECTION("optimized array: count equal to SIZE_MAX")
+            {
+                // the reader marks a container without a count by SIZE_MAX, so
+                // a count of that value must not be read as "no count"
+                // (it used to parse as [1])
+                json _;
+#if SIZE_MAX != 0xffffffff
+                std::vector<uint8_t> const vM = {'[', '#', 'M', 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 'i', 0x01, ']'};
+                CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bjdata(vM), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] syntax error while parsing BJData size: integer value overflow", json::out_of_range&);
+                CHECK(json::from_bjdata(vM, true, false).is_discarded());
+                // one less is an ordinary excessive count
+                std::vector<uint8_t> const vM1 = {'[', '#', 'M', 0xFE, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 'i', 0x01, ']'};
+                CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bjdata(vM1), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] excessive array size: 18446744073709551614", json::out_of_range&);
+#else
+                std::vector<uint8_t> const vm = {'[', '#', 'm', 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 'i', 0x01, ']'};
+                CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bjdata(vm), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] syntax error while parsing BJData size: integer value overflow", json::out_of_range&);
+                CHECK(json::from_bjdata(vm, true, false).is_discarded());
+                std::vector<uint8_t> const vL = {'[', '#', 'L', 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 'i', 0x01, ']'};
+                CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bjdata(vL), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] syntax error while parsing BJData size: integer value overflow", json::out_of_range&);
+                CHECK(json::from_bjdata(vL, true, false).is_discarded());
+#endif
+            }
+
             SECTION("optimized array: integer value overflow")
             {
 #if SIZE_MAX == 0xffffffff

tests/src/unit-bson.cpp

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ using nlohmann::json;
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <limits>
+#include <list>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
 #include "make_test_data_available.hpp"
@@ -1199,6 +1200,31 @@ TEST_CASE("BSON keys from contiguous and stream input")
             from_stream = e.what();
         }
         CHECK(from_vector == from_stream);
+
+        // error_handler_t::strict checks the array element names in place on
+        // contiguous input and byte by byte otherwise; the names are
+        // well-formed, so both give the same value or error as above
+        std::string strict_from_vector;
+        std::string strict_from_list;
+        try
+        {
+            strict_from_vector = json::from_bson(input, true, true, json::error_handler_t::strict).dump();
+        }
+        catch (const json::parse_error& e)
+        {
+            strict_from_vector = e.what();
+        }
+        try
+        {
+            const std::list<std::uint8_t> list(input.begin(), input.end());
+            strict_from_list = json::from_bson(list.begin(), list.end(), true, true, json::error_handler_t::strict).dump();
+        }
+        catch (const json::parse_error& e)
+        {
+            strict_from_list = e.what();
+        }
+        CHECK(strict_from_vector == from_vector);
+        CHECK(strict_from_list == from_vector);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1227,6 +1253,18 @@ TEST_CASE("BSON array element names")
 
     std::istringstream stream(std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(bson.data()), bson.size()));
     CHECK(json::from_bson(stream) == expected);
+
+    // input that is not contiguous reads the names byte by byte and must reject
+    // the same name
+    const std::list<std::uint8_t> list(bson.begin(), bson.end());
+    CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_bson(list.begin(), list.end(), true, true, json::error_handler_t::strict), "[json.exception.parse_error.113] parse error at byte 14: syntax error while parsing BSON key: invalid string: ill-formed UTF-8 byte", json::parse_error&);
+
+    // without exceptions, the rejected name ends the parse
+    CHECK(json::from_bson(bson, true, false, json::error_handler_t::strict).is_discarded());
+
+    // well-formed names pass the check without being stored
+    const json valid = {{"a", {true, false, {{"k", json::array({1, 2})}}}}};
+    CHECK(json::from_bson(json::to_bson(valid), true, true, json::error_handler_t::strict) == valid);
 }
 #endif
 

tests/src/unit-json_view_builder.cpp

@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ TEST_CASE("json_view builder: fraction digits")
             check_same(number);
             check_same("[" + number + "]");
             std::string pair;
-            pair.reserve(number.size() * 2 + 3);
+            pair.reserve((number.size() * 2) + 3);
             pair += '[';
             pair += number;
             pair += ',';

tests/src/unit-json_view_positions.cpp

@@ -521,7 +521,8 @@ TEST_CASE("json_view exceptions name the path and the bytes of the value")
         std::string text = "7";
         for (int level = 0; level < 40; ++level)
         {
-            text = R"([[1, [2]], )" + text + R"(, {"k": [3, {"l": [4]}]}, [5, [6, [7]]]])";
+            text.insert(0, R"([[1, [2]], )");
+            text += R"(, {"k": [3, {"l": [4]}]}, [5, [6, [7]]]])";
         }
         CAPTURE(text)
         const json j = json::parse(text);

tests/src/unit-ubjson.cpp

@@ -2360,6 +2360,18 @@ TEST_CASE("UBJSON optimized arrays of a valueless type are bounded")
         }
     }
 
+    SECTION("a count equal to SIZE_MAX is rejected")
+    {
+        // the reader marks a container without a count by SIZE_MAX, so a
+        // count of that value must not be read as "no count"; UBJSON's
+        // largest count type (int64) can only reach it where size_t is 32 bits
+#if SIZE_MAX == 0xffffffff
+        const std::vector<uint8_t> input = {'[', '#', 'L', 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 'i', 0x01, ']'};
+        CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = json::from_ubjson(input), "[json.exception.out_of_range.408] syntax error while parsing UBJSON size: integer value overflow", json::out_of_range&);
+        CHECK(json::from_ubjson(input, true, false).is_discarded());
+#endif
+    }
+
     SECTION("ordinary counts are unaffected")
     {
         CHECK(json::from_ubjson(std::vector<uint8_t>({'[', '$', 'Z', '#', 'i', 3})) == json({nullptr, nullptr, nullptr}));