Skip to content
Noroxi
NVD / CVE Program· CNA apache

CVE-2023-33246: Apache RocketMQ: Possible remote code execution vulnerability when using the update configuration function

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 98/100)

  • CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Sep 6, 2023). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Sep 27, 2023.
  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit, Nuclei); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 96.5% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.8% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
  • Fixed version: Apache Software Foundation Apache RocketMQ 5.1.1.

Patch today or shut off access. Upgrade to Apache Software Foundation Apache RocketMQ 5.1.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

For RocketMQ versions 5.1.0 and below, under certain conditions, there is a risk of remote command execution.  Several components of RocketMQ, including NameServer, Broker, and Controller, are leaked on the extranet and lack permission verification, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability by using the update configuration function to execute commands as the system users that RocketMQ is running as. Additionally, an attacker can achieve the same effect by forging the RocketMQ protocol content.  To prevent these attacks, users are recommended to upgrade to version 5.1.1 or above for using RocketMQ 5.x or 4.9.6 or above for using RocketMQ 4.x .

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1KEVWeaponized Fix available
Published
May 24, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
96.5% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

98

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS
29 / 30 · 96.5%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
active
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Sep 6, 2023. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Sep 27, 2023.

Get told when this record changes

  • In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2023-33246

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

One daily email digest (06:00 UTC); connect a webhook for KEV listings and weaponized exploits instantly.

Your free account also gets you

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

  • Stack alerts: add the products and versions you run, get the new CVEs that affect them
  • Uptime monitoring: 1 site, instant email when it goes down
  • Add your domain: subdomains and takeover risk scanned every week (1 domain)
  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
  • All your scans in one panel: findings, what changed in the last scan, a report per domain or per client (PDF, share link)
All free tools

Sign up with email · Have an account? Sign in

Free account, no card. Unfollow any time.

Don't want an account? Get "Exploited this week" by email every MondayDon't want an account? RSS feed for apache records

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

Is your version affected? Check it

Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
apacherocketmq

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • apache rocketmqbefore 4.9.6
  • apache rocketmq5.0.0 and later · before 5.1.1

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (apache). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache RocketMQ

    • up to and including 5.1.0affected · maven

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Mavenorg.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-brokerfrom 5.0.0 · before 5.1.15.1.1
Mavenorg.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-controllerfrom 5.0.0 · before 5.1.15.1.1
Mavenorg.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-namesrvfrom 4.0.0 · before 4.9.64.9.6
Mavenorg.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-namesrvfrom 5.0.0 · before 5.1.15.1.1

Same product

apache: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2023-37582Apache RocketMQ: Possible remote code execution when using the update configuration function
    66This week
  • CVE-2024-23321Apache RocketMQ: Unauthorized Exposure of Sensitive Data
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2019-17572In Apache RocketMQ 4.2.0 to 4.6.0, when the automatic topic creation in the broker is turned on by default, an evil topic like “../../../../
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Apache Software Foundation Apache RocketMQ5.1.1 · descriptionVendor (CNA)
Maven:org.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-broker5.1.1Package registry (OSV)
Maven:org.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-controller5.1.1Package registry (OSV)
Maven:org.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-namesrv4.9.6Package registry (OSV)
Maven:org.apache.rocketmq:rocketmq-namesrv5.1.1Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1
  • Nuclei detection template ×2
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×13

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Metasploit moduleexploit/multi/http/apache_rocketmq_update_configApache RocketMQ update config RCEexploit2023-05-23
Nuclei detection templateNuclei template CVE-2023-33246 —
Nuclei detection templateNuclei template CVE-2023-37582 —
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:622023-05-30
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:22023-05-31
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:812023-06-01
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:1132023-06-01
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:1062023-06-01
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:22023-06-02
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:12023-08-11
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:52023-09-04
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:22023-10-28

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-1 d
  2. Published
  3. First PoC+6 d
  4. CISA KEV+105 d
  5. TodayNov 1, 2026+1257 d

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (2 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records