CVE-2019-9183 : Security Advisory and Response

Contiki-NG and Contiki versions 4.3 and 3.0 are affected by a buffer overflow vulnerability in the processing of 6LoWPAN fragments, leading to a denial-of-service risk.

Understanding CVE-2019-9183

This CVE involves a critical buffer overflow issue in Contiki-NG and Contiki versions 4.3 and 3.0, impacting the handling of 6LoWPAN fragments.

What is CVE-2019-9183?

The vulnerability stems from an integer underflow during the processing of 6LoWPAN fragments in the os/net/ipv6/sicslowpan.c file. This underflow triggers a buffer overflow, causing the application to crash by accessing unmapped memory.

The Impact of CVE-2019-9183

Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to craft a malicious 6LoWPAN frame, leading to a denial-of-service situation by crashing the application.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-9183

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from an integer underflow issue during the processing of 6LoWPAN fragments, resulting in a buffer overflow and application crash.

Affected Systems and Versions

Contiki-NG versions 4.3
Contiki version 3.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attacker crafts a specially designed 6LoWPAN frame
Triggers buffer overflow by exploiting the integer underflow
Application crashes due to accessing unmapped memory

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-9183 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by Contiki-NG and Contiki to address the vulnerability
Monitor network traffic for any signs of exploitation

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and firmware to mitigate known vulnerabilities
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates from Contiki-NG and Contiki
Apply patches promptly to secure systems against potential exploits