CVE-2024-8768Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Unauthenticated server crash via empty prompt assertion

Published Sep 17, 2024 · Updated Nov 20, 2025

Reachable assertion in the vLLM completions API before 0.5.5 allows remote attackers to crash the API server with an empty prompt. The request produces no prompt token IDs, yet _get_num_new_tokens accepts it until an assertion requires a positive count, killing the asynchronous engine. An unauthenticated network client can interrupt all inference served by the affected process; the demonstrated request uses a model that preserves the empty prompt.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.68%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Reachable assertion in the vLLM completions API before 0.5.5 allows remote attackers to crash the API server with an empty prompt. The request produces no prompt token IDs, yet _get_num_new_tokens accepts it until an assertion requires a positive count, killing the asynchronous engine. An unauthenticated network client can interrupt all inference served by the affected process; the demonstrated request uses a model that preserves the empty prompt.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-8768
Published
Sep 17, 2024
Updated
Nov 20, 2025
Vendor
vLLM Project
Product
vLLM
Classifications
CWE-617, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 20, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <0.5.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

vLLM Project · vLLMversion=0 <0.5.5
389 Directory Server · Red Hat Enterprise Linux AIAffected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5Red Hat, Inc.CVSS: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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-617Reachable Assertion
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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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