vLLM Denial of Service via the best_of parameter
A vulnerability was found in the ilab model serve component, where improper handling of the best_of parameter in the vllm JSON web API can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS). The API used for LLM-based sentence or chat completion accepts a best_of parameter to return the best completion from several options. When this parameter is set to a large value, the API does not handle timeouts or resource exhaustion properly, allowing an attacker to cause a DoS by consuming excessive system resources. This leads to the API becoming unresponsive, preventing legitimate users from accessing the service.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | vllm | <= 0.5.0.post1 | no fix |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-8939
- https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/issues/6137
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2024-8939
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2312782
- https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm
- https://pypi.org/project/vllm
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-wc36-9694-f9rf
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-400- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
vllm- Disclosed
- 17.09.2024
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 14:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2026-2025 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-wc36-9694-f9rf - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: vllm
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 94
- First → latest
- 09.2024 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 5
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 9
- High 23
- Medium 47
- Low 4
- Unrated 11
Disclosures per year
- 2024: 2
- 2025: 30
- 2026: 62
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vLLM Denial of Service via the best_of parameter this entry
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