CVE-2013-5401 in Websphere Mq Internet Pass Thru
Summary
by MITRE
The command-port listener in IBM WebSphere MQ Internet Pass-Thru (MQIPT) 2.x before 2.1.0.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (remote-administration outage) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5401 affects IBM WebSphere MQ Internet Pass-Thru component version 2.x prior to 2.1.0.1, specifically within the command-port listener functionality. This represents a critical security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against systems running affected versions of the messaging middleware. The vulnerability resides in the Internet Pass-Thru functionality that facilitates communication between clients and IBM WebSphere MQ servers across network boundaries, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such connectivity is essential for business operations.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified attack vectors that compromise the command-port listener responsible for handling administrative commands and control messages within the MQIPT component. This listener serves as a critical interface for remote administration of WebSphere MQ systems, and its compromise results in complete loss of administrative control over the affected messaging infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to disrupt the normal operational flow of the messaging system, rendering administrative functions unavailable and potentially causing cascading failures throughout connected applications that depend on reliable message queuing services.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments that rely on IBM WebSphere MQ for mission-critical messaging operations. The remote administration outage that results from exploitation can lead to complete service disruption, forcing organizations to either manually restart services or implement emergency recovery procedures. The attack requires no authentication or specialized privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by any remote attacker with network access to the affected system. Organizations may experience extended downtime during which critical business processes relying on message queuing functionality become unavailable, potentially resulting in substantial financial losses and operational disruption.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and specifically relates to denial of service conditions where system resources are exhausted or rendered unavailable through malicious input or attack vectors. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers "Network Denial of Service" and represents a common attack pattern where adversaries seek to disrupt network services by targeting administrative interfaces and control mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch for version 2.1.0.1, restricting network access to the command-port listener, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of critical administrative interfaces. Additionally, monitoring for unusual network activity on administrative ports and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts before they succeed in causing service disruption.