CVE-2014-125106
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a size_t overflow vulnerability in Nanopb's pb_dec_bytes and pb_dec_string functions, allowing attackers to cause buffer overflows and potentially execute arbitrary code. It affects systems using Nanopb library versions before 0.3.1 for Protocol Buffers data parsing. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in applications processing untrusted Protocol Buffers data.
💻 Affected Systems
- Nanopb Protocol Buffers library
📦 What is this software?
Nanopb by Nanopb Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or service disruption.
Likely Case
Denial of service through application crashes or memory corruption leading to instability.
If Mitigated
Contained impact with proper input validation and memory protections limiting exploit effectiveness.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting malicious Protocol Buffers data to trigger the size_t overflow.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 0.3.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/blob/master/CHANGELOG.txt
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Nanopb library to version 0.3.1 or later. 2. Recompile all applications using Nanopb. 3. Restart affected services. 4. Verify the fix by checking the Nanopb version in use.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation wrapper
allImplement strict input validation for Protocol Buffers data size before passing to Nanopb functions.
Memory protection
allEnable ASLR, DEP, and other memory protection mechanisms to reduce exploit effectiveness.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate systems using vulnerable Nanopb versions from untrusted networks.
- Implement strict network filtering to block Protocol Buffers data from untrusted sources.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if application links against Nanopb library version < 0.3.1 using ldd (Linux) or dependency analysis tools.Check Version:
Check build configuration or use: grep -r 'nanopb' /path/to/application/ | grep -i versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Nanopb version is 0.3.1 or later in application dependencies and recompiled binaries.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with memory corruption errors
- Unexpected termination of Protocol Buffers parsing services
Network Indicators:
- Unusually large Protocol Buffers payloads
- Protocol Buffers traffic to vulnerable services
SIEM Query:
source="application_logs" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "buffer overflow" OR "nanopb")🔗 References
- https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/blob/master/CHANGELOG.txt
- https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/commit/d2099cc8f1adb33d427a44a5e32ed27b647c7168
- https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/compare/nanopb-0.3.0...nanopb-0.3.1
- https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/blob/master/CHANGELOG.txt
- https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/commit/d2099cc8f1adb33d427a44a5e32ed27b647c7168
- https://github.com/nanopb/nanopb/compare/nanopb-0.3.0...nanopb-0.3.1
