CVE-2023-2683 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE-2023-2683 article discusses a memory leak vulnerability in the EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack versions 5.1.0 through 5.1.1 that allows an attacker to disrupt legitimate connection attempts, potentially leading to denial-of-service. The vulnerability was assigned by Silabs and published on June 15, 2023.

Understanding CVE-2023-2683

The CVE-2023-2683 vulnerability involves a memory leak in the EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack versions 5.1.0 through 5.1.1, enabling an attacker to send an invalid pairing message, ultimately causing future legitimate connection attempts to fail. The impact of this vulnerability relates to excessive allocation (CAPEC-130) due to uncontrolled resource consumption.

What is CVE-2023-2683?

The vulnerability in EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack versions 5.1.0 through 5.1.1 allows attackers to disrupt legitimate connection attempts by exploiting a memory leak issue, ultimately leading to denial-of-service scenarios.

The Impact of CVE-2023-2683

The impact of CVE-2023-2683 is categorized as medium severity with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3. The attack complexity is high, and the availability impact is high, while confidentiality and integrity impacts are none. The vulnerability requires no privileges for exploitation, and user interaction is not needed.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-2683

The CVE-2023-2683 vulnerability is related to "Excessive Allocation" (CAPEC-130) due to a memory leak in the EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack versions 5.1.0 through 5.1.1.

Vulnerability Description

A memory leak in the EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack versions 5.1.0 through 5.1.1 allows attackers to disrupt legitimate connection attempts by sending invalid pairing messages, potentially leading to denial-of-service conditions.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected product is the Bluetooth SDK by Silabs, specifically versions 5.0.0 through 5.1.1. The vulnerability impacts systems running these versions.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the memory leak in the EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack by sending invalid pairing messages, causing future legitimate connection attempts to fail, leading to denial-of-service scenarios.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-2683 and prevent potential exploitation, the following steps are recommended:

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should ensure that their systems are updated to the latest patched versions provided by Silabs.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to minimize the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Employ regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.
Stay informed about security advisories and updates from Silabs to apply patches promptly.
Train employees on best practices for cybersecurity to enhance overall system security.

Patching and Updates

Silabs has released patches addressing the memory leak vulnerability in the EFR32 Bluetooth LE stack versions 5.1.0 through 5.1.1. Users are advised to update their systems to the patched versions to mitigate the risk of exploitation.