CVE-2026-116173 vllm-project CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for systems using vLLM versions from 0.22.0 before 0.24.0 should assess exposure and prioritize remediation or compensating controls. This includes operators, platform administrators, vulnerability management teams, and security teams who need to verify vLLM versions, review system configurations, and apply immediate remediation or compensating controls to prevent potential denial of service attacks.

Why it matters

Defenders should care about CVE-2026-116173 because it affects vLLM versions from 0.22.0 before 0.24.0, allowing remote attackers to terminate EngineCore. This requires verification of vLLM versions, assessment of exposure, and immediate remediation or compensating controls to prevent potential denial of service.

• Potential denial of service due to engine crashes.
• Need for verification of vLLM version and exposure to untrusted input.
• Potential impact on system availability and reliability.
• Requires immediate remediation or compensating controls for vulnerable versions.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in the Rust gRPC frontend of vLLM, allowing remote attackers to terminate EngineCore by bypassing logprob_token_ids limits. This is achieved by sending specific requests that trigger a fatal sampler exception, crashing the engine. Affected versions include vLLM from 0.22.0 before 0.24.0. Defenders should prioritize verifying the version of vLLM in use and assessing exposure to untrusted input to prevent potential denial of service attacks through engine crashes and impact on system availability and reliability.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying the version of vLLM in use and assessing exposure to untrusted input. Immediate remediation or compensating controls should be applied to systems using vulnerable versions.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify the version of vLLM in use and assess exposure to untrusted input.
• Apply immediate remediation or compensating controls to systems using vulnerable versions.
• Monitor for suspicious Generate or GenerateStream requests with output_logprobs enabled.
• Review system configurations for potential exposure.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented.
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.

Evidence notes

The vulnerability details are based on the source item from osv_dev and supplemental sources. The CVE Program and NVD records provide additional context. Evidence limits suggest verifying vLLM version 0.22.0 to 0.24.0 for potential exposure. Defenders should review official advisories and assess system configurations for Generate or GenerateStream requests with output_logprobs enabled.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.