RabbitMQ Java client accepts broker frames larger than the negotiated AMQP frame_max
Summary
The max body size was enforced to patch CVE-2023-46120, but even though that limit still works, the frame size itself still exceeds the given max size.
Root cause
The Java client records the AMQP 0-9-1 frame_max negotiated during connection tuning, but the socket inbound frame reader continues to validate broker-controlled payload lengths against the much larger maxInboundMessageBodySize limit. A broker peer can therefore send a method frame whose payload is larger than the negotiated frame_max, have it allocated and decoded, and complete the connection handshake instead of being rejected as a protocol violation.
Reported by Team Atlanta.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | com.rabbitmq:amqp-client | < 5.33.0 | 5.33.0 |
References
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client/security/advisories/GHSA-5xwg-cfvj-gff5
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client/pull/1994
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client/pull/1995
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client/commit/08790f09686173eb17b48d08a25edcb32e71a591
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client/commit/b491075f42e89967610c40beded68d3680cfd472
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client
- https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-java-client/releases/tag/v5.33.0
- CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-20- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
com.rabbitmq:amqp-client- Disclosed
- 18.08.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:20
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-5xwg-cfvj-gff5 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: com.rabbitmq:amqp-client
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 12
- First → latest
- 10.2018 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 4
- Medium 7
- Low 1
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 1
- 2019: 0
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 10
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RabbitMQ Java client accepts broker frames larger than the negotiated AMQP frame_max this entry
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