GHSA-fv97-2448-gcf6: RIOT-OS vulnerable to Buffer Overflow during IPHC receive
RIOT-OS, an operating system that supports Internet of Things devices, contains a network stack with the ability to process 6LoWPAN frames. Prior to version 2022.10, an attacker can send a crafted frame to the device resulting in an out of bounds write in the packet buffer. The overflow can be used to corrupt other packets and the allocator metadata. Corrupting a pointer will easily lead to denial of service. While carefully manipulating the allocator metadata gives an attacker the possibility to write data to arbitrary locations and thus execute arbitrary code. Version 2022.10 fixes this issue. As a workaround, disable support for fragmented IP datagrams or apply the patches manually.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
RIOT-OSto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2022.10 - Configuration
Disable support for fragmented IP datagrams as a workaround.
RIOT-OS support for fragmented IP datagrams = disabled
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which deployments should be prioritized for remediation?
RIOT-OS devices running a release earlier than 2022.10 that process 6LoWPAN frames should be prioritized, particularly where an attacker can send network frames to the device.
What does an attacker need to exploit this issue?
An attacker needs to send a crafted 6LoWPAN frame to the target device. No privileges or user interaction are indicated.
What can be done when an immediate upgrade is not possible?
Disable support for fragmented IP datagrams, or apply the referenced patches manually. Upgrading to RIOT-OS 2022.10 fixes the issue.
How can teams determine whether a device is affected?
Verify the RIOT-OS version in use and whether the device processes 6LoWPAN frames. Versions prior to 2022.10 are affected.