CVE-2022-46405Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

Service interruption via recursive federation messages

Published Dec 4, 2022 · Updated Apr 24, 2025

Uncontrolled recursion in Mastodon 4.0.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to interrupt service through crafted federation activity. The federation workflow repeatedly pulls attacker-generated messages from wildcard-DNS server names, causing Sidekiq queues and the database to grow without a termination bound. Attackers require bot accounts on the target instance and accounts on an attacker-controlled federated server; the resulting resource exhaustion affects availability.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.95%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled recursion in Mastodon 4.0.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to interrupt service through crafted federation activity. The federation workflow repeatedly pulls attacker-generated messages from wildcard-DNS server names, causing Sidekiq queues and the database to grow without a termination bound. Attackers require bot accounts on the target instance and accounts on an attacker-controlled federated server; the resulting resource exhaustion affects availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-46405
Published
Dec 4, 2022
Updated
Apr 24, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-674, T1499.003
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 4, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 24, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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 exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-674Uncontrolled Recursion
T1499.003Application Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

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

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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