An unauthenticated user can trigger a fatal assertion in the server while generating ftdc diagnostic metrics due to attempting to build a BSON object that exceeds certain memory sizes. This issue affects MongoDB Server v5.0 versions prior to and including 5.0.16 and MongoDB Server v6.0 versions prior to and including 6.0.5.
The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.
While assertion is good for catching logic errors and reducing the chances of reaching more serious vulnerability conditions, it can still lead to a denial of service. For example, if a server handles multiple simultaneous connections, and an assert() occurs in one single connection that causes all other connections to be dropped, this is a reachable assertion that leads to a denial of service.