Nullptr Dereference in Protobuf

A null character in a Protocol Buffer symbol causes the system to crash because it tries to use a file pointer that doesn't exist. This can cause the application to stop working unexpectedly.

A null byte embedded in a proto symbol causes incorrect parsing, resulting in a nullptr dereference during error message generation when accessing the proto file object. The vulnerability requires crafting a malformed .proto file with embedded null characters; exploitation leads to denial of service via application crash.