Client hang via stalled UNSUBSCRIBE topic parsing
Published Sep 18, 2026 · Updated Sep 18, 2026
Denial of service in NanoMQ before 0.24.14 allows remote attackers controlling an MQTT broker to hang MQTT 3.1.1 clients. The nni_mqtt_msg_decode_unsubscribe() loop ignores a failed read_uint16(), so a zero-length topic with trailing data leaves buf.curpos unchanged as topic_count grows. Exploitation requires the NanoMQ client, including bridge mode, to connect to an attacker-controlled broker; automatic reconnection can repeat the hang.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in NanoMQ before 0.24.14 allows remote attackers controlling an MQTT broker to hang MQTT 3.1.1 clients. The nni_mqtt_msg_decode_unsubscribe() loop ignores a failed read_uint16(), so a zero-length topic with trailing data leaves buf.curpos unchanged as topic_count grows. Exploitation requires the NanoMQ client, including bridge mode, to connect to an attacker-controlled broker; automatic reconnection can repeat the hang.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-61633
- Published
- Sep 18, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 18, 2026
- Vendor
- EMQ Technologies
- Product
- NanoMQ
- Classifications
- CWE-835, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 18, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=< 0.24.14
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Malformed UNSUBSCRIBE packet proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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