CVE-2020-4766Network attack vector

Service interruption via malformed MQ request exhaustion

Published Jan 22, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Uncontrolled resource consumption in IBM MQ Internet Pass-Thru 2.1 and 9.2 allows remote attackers to interrupt service via malformed MQ requests. IBM has not disclosed the affected parser or malformed fields; processing the requests consumes all available resources. No authentication or user interaction is required, but IBM rates exploitation as high complexity; exhaustion interrupts MQIPT service.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.47%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in IBM MQ Internet Pass-Thru 2.1 and 9.2 allows remote attackers to interrupt service via malformed MQ requests. IBM has not disclosed the affected parser or malformed fields; processing the requests consumes all available resources. No authentication or user interaction is required, but IBM rates exploitation as high complexity; exhaustion interrupts MQIPT service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-4766
Published
Jan 22, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM MQ Internet Pass-Thru
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 22, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.1
  2. Affected versionversion=9.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM MQ Internet Pass-Thruversion=2.1; version=9.2

Published CVSS scores

5.9IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.2IBMCVSS:3.0/C:N/PR:N/AV:N/S:U/A:H/UI:N/I:N/AC:H/RC:C/E:U/RL:O
5.0NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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