CVE-2022-51010 in PocketMine-MP
Summary
by MITRE • 09/07/2026
PocketMine-MP versions before 4.4.2 fail to properly validate item IDs received from clients in itemstack NBT data. Attackers can send crafted item IDs outside the valid range to trigger an uncaught exception that crashes the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2026
The vulnerability identified in PocketMine-MP prior to version 4.4.2 represents a critical input validation failure within the network protocol handling subsystem, specifically targeting the parsing of Named Binary Tag data associated with item stacks. As a widely used Minecraft: Bedrock Edition server implementation written in PHP, PocketMine-MP relies on robust deserialization and type checking mechanisms to maintain stability when processing client-server interactions. The core technical flaw lies in the insufficient boundary checks applied to integer values representing item identifiers during the NBT parsing phase. When a client sends an ItemStack structure containing an Item ID that falls outside the predefined valid range for game items, the server software fails to intercept this malformed input before it reaches critical internal logic paths responsible for rendering or inventory management operations.
This lack of validation allows malicious actors to craft specific network packets containing out-of-bounds integer values for item identifiers. Upon receiving these crafted payloads, the application attempts to process the invalid ID without performing necessary range verification against known valid constants or database lookups that would typically reject such inputs gracefully. Consequently, this triggers an uncaught exception within the PHP runtime environment. Because the error handling mechanism does not properly catch and log this specific type of parsing failure, the execution flow is abruptly terminated, resulting in a complete server crash. This behavior classifies as CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, where external input is accepted without sufficient verification that it conforms to expected constraints or formats.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its direct effect on service availability. An attacker can exploit this flaw remotely by connecting to the vulnerable server and sending a single crafted packet containing an invalid item ID in the NBT data structure. This action causes immediate denial of service, forcing the server process to terminate unexpectedly. For game administrators, this results in downtime for all connected players, potential loss of unsaved world state if automatic backups are not configured or frequent enough, and disruption of gameplay services. The simplicity of the exploit means that even low-skilled attackers can leverage automated tools to repeatedly crash a target server, making it an attractive vector for persistent denial-of-service attacks against public game servers.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1499 Endpoint Denial of Service, specifically under the sub-technique of resource exhaustion or service disruption via application layer exploits. The attack does not require authentication in many default configurations where remote connection is permitted, allowing for unauthenticated exploitation over the network. To mitigate this risk, administrators must upgrade PocketMine-MP to version 4.4.2 or later, which includes patches that enforce strict validation of item IDs during NBT deserialization. Additionally, implementing network-level filtering rules can provide a secondary layer of defense by dropping packets with suspiciously malformed structures before they reach the application logic. Regular auditing of server configurations and limiting exposed ports to trusted IP ranges further reduces the attack surface available for such exploitation attempts.