CVE-2026-67221 in RabbitMQ
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2026
RabbitMQ is a messaging and streaming broker. Prior to versions 3.13.15, 4.0.20, 4.1.11, 4.2.6, and 4.3.0, The AMQP 0-9-1 shovel calls amqp_uri:remove_credentials before storing its connection URI, but the AMQP 1.0 shovel stores the raw URI including the password. The stored URI is visible via GET /api/shovels and via rabbitmqctl shovel_status. Preconditions include The Shovel plugin must be in use with AMQP 1.0 shovels configured using URI-embedded credentials. Reading the exposed status requires the monitoring tag.. This issue is fixed in versions 3.13.15, 4.0.20, 4.1.11, 4.2.6, and 4.3.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2026
RabbitMQ serves as a widely deployed messaging and streaming broker that facilitates asynchronous communication between distributed systems through various protocols including AMQP 0-9-1 and AMQP 1.0. A critical security flaw was identified in the handling of connection credentials within the Shovel plugin, which is responsible for forwarding messages from one RabbitMQ node to another or to a different messaging system. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 3.13.15, 4.0.20, 4.1.11, 4.2.6, and 4.3.0. The core of the issue lies in an inconsistency between how credentials are processed for different AMQP protocol versions during the configuration of shovels. While the implementation for AMQP 0-9-1 correctly invokes a function to remove sensitive credential data from the connection URI before persistence, the implementation for AMQP 1.0 fails to perform this sanitization step. Consequently, when an administrator configures an AMQP 1.0 shovel using a Uniform Resource Identifier that embeds authentication details such as usernames and passwords, these credentials are stored in plaintext within the RabbitMQ internal state rather than being masked or removed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it allows for the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive authentication material to users with monitoring privileges. The raw connection URI containing the password becomes accessible through standard administrative interfaces, specifically via the HTTP API endpoint GET /api/shovels and the command-line utility rabbitmqctl shovel_status. This exposure occurs without requiring any complex exploitation techniques or privilege escalation beyond what is already granted for system monitoring purposes. An attacker who has been assigned the monitoring tag in RabbitMQ can query these endpoints to retrieve the full connection strings of configured shovels, thereby obtaining valid credentials that may be used to authenticate against remote messaging brokers. This represents a severe breach of confidentiality and undermines the security model by allowing internal service accounts or administrative users with limited scope to access high-privilege credentials intended for inter-node communication.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-259, which describes issues related to passwords being stored in clear text within configuration files or databases. It also relates closely to CWE-798, concerning the use of hardcoded credentials that are exposed through improper access controls. In terms of adversary behavior mapping under the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this flaw facilitates Credential Access techniques where an attacker leverages existing permissions to harvest sensitive information for lateral movement or further exploitation. The vulnerability highlights a critical oversight in input validation and data sanitization processes within the application logic, specifically failing to apply consistent security controls across different protocol implementations within the same plugin module.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running affected versions of RabbitMQ must upgrade immediately to one of the fixed releases: 3.13.15, 4.0.20, 4.1.11, 4.2.6, or 4.3.0. These updates correct the logic in the AMQP 1.0 shovel implementation to ensure that credentials are stripped from connection URIs before they are persisted to disk or exposed via management interfaces. In addition to upgrading, administrators should audit their current shovels for any configurations using URI-embedded passwords and migrate them to use more secure authentication methods such as certificate-based authentication or external secret management systems where possible. It is also recommended to review user roles and permissions to ensure that the monitoring tag is only granted to trusted personnel who require visibility into system health metrics, thereby reducing the attack surface for credential harvesting even if similar vulnerabilities exist in other components of the platform.