MEDIUM CVSS 5.4
Published: 2026-03-04

CVE-2025-66168

apache activemq Security Advisory (CVE-2025-66168)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2025-66168 impacting apache activemq. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.4 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
WARNING: Users of 6.x should upgrade to 6.2.4 or later as the fix was missed in previous 6.x releases. See the  following for more details: https://activemq.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2026-40046-announcement.txt https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-40046 Original Report: Apache ActiveMQ does not properly validate the remaining length field which may lead to an overflow during the decoding of malformed packets. When this integer overflow occurs, ActiveMQ may incorrectly compute the total Remaining Length and subsequently misinterpret the payload as multiple MQTT control packets which makes the broker susceptible to unexpected behavior when interacting with non-compliant clients. This behavior violates the MQTT v3.1.1 specification, which restricts Remaining Length to a maximum of 4 bytes. The scenario occurs on established connections after the authentication process. Brokers that are not enabling mqtt transport connectors are not impacted. This issue affects Apache ActiveMQ: before 5.19.2, 6.0.0 to 6.1.8, and 6.2.0 Users are recommended to upgrade to version 5.19.2, 6.1.9, or 6.2.1, which fixes the issue.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
Low (C:L)
Partial information leakage
Integrity
Low (I:L)
Partial data modification possible
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product apache / activemq
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-190

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2025-66168 impacting apache activemq.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2025-66168.yaml
id: cve-2025-66168

info:
  name: apache activemq - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2025-66168 affecting apache activemq.
    Evaluation: WARNING:

Users of 6.x should upgrade to 6.2.4 or later as the fix was missed in previous 6.x releases.

See the  following for more details:
 https:/...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2025-66168
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
    cvss-score: 5.4
    cve-id: CVE-2025-66168
    cwe-id: CWE-190
  tags: cve,cve-2025-66168,apache,activemq,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "activemq"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2025-66168.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2025-66168
# Target: apache activemq | CVSS: 5.4 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2025-66168 (apache activemq)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against apache activemq scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2025-66168.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2025-66168
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install activemq 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade activemq 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update activemq

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i activemq 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i activemq

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2025-66168 in apache activemq?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update apache activemq packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2025-66168?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2025-66168?

CVE-2025-66168 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.4 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.4
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2025-66168
Weakness CWE-190
Vendor apache
Product activemq
Published 2026-03-04
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N