CVE-2025-29783: vLLM Allows Remote Code Execution via Mooncake Integration
First published: Wed Mar 19 2025(Updated: )
### Summary When vLLM is configured to use Mooncake, unsafe deserialization exposed directly over ZMQ/TCP will allow attackers to execute remote code on distributed hosts. ### Details 1. Pickle deserialization vulnerabilities are [well documented](https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html). 2. The [mooncake pipe](https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/9bebc9512f9340e94579b9bd69cfdc452c4d5bb0/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_pipe/mooncake_pipe.py#L206) is exposed over the network (by design to enable disaggregated prefilling across distributed environments) using ZMQ over TCP, greatly increasing exploitability. ~~Further, the mooncake integration opens these sockets listening on all interfaces on the host, meaning it can not be configured to only use a private, trusted network.~~ Only `sender_socket` and `receiver_ack` are allowed to be accessed publicly, while the data actually decompressed by `pickle.loads()` comes from [recv_bytes](https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/9bebc9512f9340e94579b9bd69cfdc452c4d5bb0/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_pipe/mooncake_pipe.py#L257). Its interface is defined as `self.receiver_socket.connect(f\"tcp://{d_host}:{d_rank_offset + 1}\")`, where `d_host` is `decode_host`, a locally defined address 192.168.0.139,from mooncake.json (https://github.com/kvcache-ai/Mooncake/blob/main/doc/en/vllm-integration-v0.2.md?plain=1#L36). 3. The root problem is [`recv_tensor()`](https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/9bebc9512f9340e94579b9bd69cfdc452c4d5bb0/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_pipe/mooncake_pipe.py#L257) calls [`_recv_impl`](https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/9bebc9512f9340e94579b9bd69cfdc452c4d5bb0/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_pipe/mooncake_pipe.py#L244) which passes the raw network bytes to `pickle.loads()`. Additionally, it does not appear that there are any controls (network, authentication, etc) to prevent arbitrary users from sending this payload to the affected service. ### Impact This is a remote code execution vulnerability impacting any deployments using Mooncake to distribute KV across distributed hosts. ### Remediation This issue is resolved by https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/pull/14228
Credit: security-advisories@github.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| vLLM | <0.8.0 | |
| pip/vllm | >=0.6.5<0.8.0 | 0.8.0 |
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Reference Links
- https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/security/advisories/GHSA-x3m8-f7g5-qhm7
- https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/pull/14228
- https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/commit/288ca110f68d23909728627d3100e5a8db820aa2
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-29783
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x3m8-f7g5-qhm7 (Advisory)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-29783?
CVE-2025-29783 has a high severity due to the potential for remote code execution through unsafe deserialization.
How do I fix CVE-2025-29783?
To fix CVE-2025-29783, upgrade to vLLM version 0.8.0 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed.
What systems are affected by CVE-2025-29783?
CVE-2025-29783 affects all versions of vLLM prior to 0.8.0 that are configured to use Mooncake over ZMQ/TCP.
What types of attacks can be executed due to CVE-2025-29783?
Attackers can execute remote code on distributed hosts due to the unsafe deserialization vulnerability in CVE-2025-29783.
Is CVE-2025-29783 limited to specific network interfaces?
CVE-2025-29783 is exposed over all network interfaces when vLLM is used with Mooncake, making it particularly vulnerable.
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