CVE-2021-37146 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

ROS Melodic through 1.4.11 and ROS Noetic through 1.15.11 are affected by an infinite loop vulnerability in Open Robotics ros_comm XMLRPC server. This flaw allows remote attackers to execute a Denial of Service attack on ros_comm by exploiting a specially crafted XMLRPC call.

Understanding CVE-2021-37146

This CVE describes an infinite loop vulnerability in the ros_comm XMLRPC server of Open Robotics, affecting ROS Melodic and ROS Noetic.

What is CVE-2021-37146?

The CVE-2021-37146 vulnerability in ROS allows malicious actors to trigger an infinite loop by sending a specific XMLRPC request, resulting in a denial of service in ros_comm.

The Impact of CVE-2021-37146

The impact of this vulnerability is the exposure to Denial of Service attacks that can affect the availability of ROS Melodic and ROS Noetic systems, rendering them inaccessible to legitimate users.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-37146

This section outlines the technical specifics of the CVE-2021-37146 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability originates from an infinite loop condition in the ros_comm XMLRPC server of Open Robotics, leading to a denial of service when triggered by a specially crafted XMLRPC call.

Affected Systems and Versions

ROS Melodic through version 1.4.11 and ROS Noetic through version 1.15.11 are confirmed to be impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious XMLRPC request to the ros_comm server, causing it to enter an infinite loop and disrupt normal service.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect systems from CVE-2021-37146, it is essential to take immediate action and implement long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by ROS for ROS Melodic and ROS Noetic to address this vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious XMLRPC requests that could indicate a potential attack.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update ROS packages and dependencies to ensure the latest security fixes are in place.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to restrict unauthorized access to critical systems.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about new ROS packages and updates released by Open Robotics to address security vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-37146.