CVE-2026-44630 in IoTDB
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
Improper validation of length fields in the Apache IoTDB RPC service may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to cause a denial of service. By sending a crafted malformed Thrift frame, an attacker can cause IoTDB to allocate an excessive amount of memory and crash with an OutOfMemoryError.
This issue affects Apache IoTDB: before 1.3.8, from 2.0.0 before 2.0.9.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.0.10, which fixes the issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The vulnerability described represents a critical denial of service weakness in Apache IoTDB's Remote Procedure Call service that stems from inadequate validation of length fields within Thrift protocol frames. This flaw operates at the protocol level where the system fails to properly verify the legitimacy of data structure dimensions before processing them, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to manipulate memory allocation behavior. The vulnerability specifically targets the RPC service implementation that handles incoming Thrift requests, making it accessible to unauthenticated adversaries who can leverage this weakness without requiring any prior authentication credentials or privileged access.
The technical exploitation mechanism involves crafting malicious Thrift frames with deliberately malformed length fields that cause the IoTDB server to allocate excessive memory resources beyond normal operational parameters. When the system processes these crafted frames, it attempts to reserve memory based on the deceptive length values provided in the protocol headers, leading to uncontrolled memory consumption patterns that ultimately result in OutOfMemoryError exceptions. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-129 which addresses improper validation of length fields and falls under the broader category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to system instability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for IoTDB deployments where remote attackers can systematically destabilize services by consuming available memory resources. The denial of service condition affects system availability and can potentially disrupt data collection and processing workflows that rely on IoTDB's time series database capabilities. Organizations utilizing IoTDB in production environments face risks of service interruptions, data access failures, and potential cascading effects on dependent systems that depend on continuous database availability for their operations.
The mitigation strategy centers on upgrading to Apache IoTDB version 2.0.10 or later, which incorporates proper validation mechanisms for length fields within Thrift protocol handling. This upgrade addresses the root cause by implementing robust input validation checks that prevent maliciously crafted frames from triggering excessive memory allocation behaviors. Organizations should also consider implementing network level controls such as firewall rules to restrict access to RPC services and monitoring systems to detect unusual memory consumption patterns. The fix demonstrates adherence to security best practices in protocol implementation and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers resource exhaustion attacks through malformed data processing, making the vulnerability remediation critical for maintaining system integrity and availability.
The vulnerability landscape surrounding this issue reflects common patterns found in distributed systems where protocol-level parsing deficiencies can be exploited to cause resource exhaustion. The specific nature of the flaw indicates poor input sanitization practices within the Thrift processing pipeline, which should serve as a warning to other implementations handling similar remote procedure call protocols. Organizations deploying IoTDB and similar time series database solutions must prioritize regular security updates and maintain awareness of protocol-level vulnerabilities that can compromise system availability through seemingly benign data processing operations.