CVE-2015-8786 in RabbitMQ
Summary
by MITRE
The Management plugin in RabbitMQ before 3.6.1 allows remote authenticated users with certain privileges to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) via the (1) lengths_age or (2) lengths_incr parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8786 affects the Management plugin in RabbitMQ versions prior to 3.6.1, representing a significant security flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to induce resource exhaustion conditions. This issue specifically targets the management interface components that handle queue length statistics and monitoring parameters, creating a potential pathway for denial of service attacks that can severely impact system availability and performance.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and handling of specific parameters within the management plugin's queue statistics processing functionality. Attackers with appropriate authentication credentials and specific privileges can manipulate the lengths_age and lengths_incr parameters to cause excessive resource consumption, leading to system instability and potential complete service disruption. These parameters are designed to control queue length reporting and monitoring, but the vulnerability allows malicious input that triggers unbounded resource allocation or processing loops.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a serious threat to RabbitMQ deployment stability and availability. The denial of service condition can affect not only the management interface but potentially impact the underlying message broker functionality, as resource exhaustion can cascade into broader system performance degradation. Organizations relying on RabbitMQ for critical messaging infrastructure face significant risk of service interruption, which could impact downstream applications and business operations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access with specific privileges, making it accessible to users who should normally have legitimate administrative access but could be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised accounts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," and demonstrates how improper parameter handling in management interfaces can create exploitable conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, specifically "Resource Hijacking: Cloud Compute," and T1566.002, "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment," as it could be leveraged through compromised credentials or as part of broader attack chains targeting management interfaces. The flaw represents a classic example of how administrative interfaces, if not properly secured against malicious input, can become attack vectors for resource exhaustion attacks.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to RabbitMQ version 3.6.1 or later to address this vulnerability, as the fix implements proper input validation and resource limiting for the affected parameters. Additional mitigations include implementing strict access controls for management plugin interfaces, monitoring for unusual parameter usage patterns, and establishing robust logging and alerting mechanisms around management interface activity. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to management interfaces to only trusted administrative hosts, while regular security assessments should verify that management interfaces are not exposed to unnecessary network access. The vulnerability highlights the importance of securing all administrative interfaces and implementing proper input validation controls to prevent resource exhaustion attacks that could compromise system availability and service integrity.