CVE-2023-33973 : Security Advisory and Response

Understanding CVE-2023-33973

RIOT-OS, an operating system for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, is vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference during NHC encoding, potentially leading to a denial of service.

What is CVE-2023-33973?

In RIOT-OS versions 2023.01 and prior, an attacker can exploit a vulnerability in the network stack that processes 6LoWPAN frames. By sending a specially crafted frame, the attacker triggers a NULL pointer dereference during packet encoding, causing the device to crash, resulting in a denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-33973

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as HIGH with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring user interaction, making it a significant threat to IoT devices running RIOT-OS.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-33973

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in RIOT-OS allows an attacker to crash IoT devices by triggering a NULL pointer dereference during NHC encoding.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: RIOT-OS
Product: RIOT
Affected Versions: <= 2023.01

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted frame that triggers the NULL pointer dereference in the network stack.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

To mitigate the CVE-2023-33973 vulnerability, users are advised to apply the patch available at pull request 19678. It is crucial to update to the patched version to protect IoT devices from potential denial-of-service attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

In the long term, IoT device manufacturers and users should stay vigilant for security updates and patches released by RIOT-OS. Implementing secure coding practices and robust testing can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in IoT devices.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from RIOT-OS to ensure that IoT devices are protected against known vulnerabilities.