CVE-2023-33973: RIOT-OS vulnerable to NULL pointer dereference during NHC encoding

Published May 30, 2023
·
Updated

RIOT-OS, an operating system for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, contains a network stack with the ability to process 6LoWPAN frames. In versions 2023.01 and prior, an attacker can send a crafted frame which is forwarded by the device. During encoding of the packet a NULL pointer dereference occurs. This crashes the device leading to denial of service. A patch is available at pull request 19678. There are no known workarounds.

Affected Software

1 affected component
RIOT-OS RIOT<=2023.01

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade RIOT-OS to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch 19678

Event History

May 30, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:18 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:18 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
05:15 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2023-33973?

CVE-2023-33973 has been classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential exploitation by attackers.

2

How do I fix CVE-2023-33973?

To fix CVE-2023-33973, upgrade to a version of RIOT-OS later than 2023.01.

3

What impact does CVE-2023-33973 have on RIOT-OS?

CVE-2023-33973 allows attackers to exploit a NULL pointer dereference in the network stack when processing crafted 6LoWPAN frames.

4

Which versions of RIOT-OS are affected by CVE-2023-33973?

Versions of RIOT-OS up to and including 2023.01 are affected by CVE-2023-33973.

5

Can CVE-2023-33973 be exploited remotely?

Yes, CVE-2023-33973 can be exploited remotely as it involves network packet processing.

Contact

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