CVE-2023-4263 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE, assigned on August 8, 2023, and published on October 13, 2023, addresses a potential buffer overflow vulnerability in the Zephyr IEEE 802.15.4 nRF 15.4 driver.

Understanding CVE-2023-4263

This vulnerability poses a risk of buffer overflow in the Zephyr IEEE 802.15.4 nRF 15.4 driver, potentially leading to security breaches.

What is CVE-2023-4263?

The CVE-2023-4263 is a potential buffer overflow vulnerability in the Zephyr IEEE 802.15.4 nRF 15.4 driver, which can allow attackers to overwrite the buffer and execute arbitrary code, posing a significant security risk.

The Impact of CVE-2023-4263

The impact of this vulnerability, categorized under CAPEC-100 Overflow Buffers, is rated as high in terms of availability. A successful exploit could lead to denial of service or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-4263

This section provides more insight into the technical aspects of the CVE-2023-4263 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

CVE-2023-4263 is classified under CWE-120 and CWE-121, indicating buffer overflow without input size validation and stack-based buffer overflow, allowing attackers to manipulate the memory content beyond its allocated space.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Zephyr versions up to 3.4 in the Zephyr IEEE 802.15.4 nRF 15.4 driver.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the buffer overflow vulnerability by sending specially crafted input to the affected driver, causing a buffer overrun and potentially executing malicious code.

Mitigation and Prevention

Organizations and users can take specific steps to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2023-4263 and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Zephyr installations to version 3.5 or later, which includes security patches addressing the buffer overflow vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities that might indicate an attempted exploit of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to prevent buffer overflows in software development.
Conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update software components, including Zephyr, to the latest versions to ensure that known vulnerabilities are patched and security measures are up to date.