CVE-2023-33975 – CVE-2023-33975 is a critical memory corruption ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-33975?

CVE-2023-33975 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). CVE-2023-33975 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in RIOT-OS's 6LoWPAN network stack that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via crafted network frames. IoT devices running RIOT-OS versions 2023.01 and earlier are affected when processing fragmented IP datagrams. This vulnerability enables complete device compromise through network-based attacks.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-33975 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in RIOT-OS's 6LoWPAN network stack that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via crafted network frames. IoT devices running RIOT-OS versions 2023.01 and earlier are affected when processing fragmented IP datagrams. This vulnerability enables complete device compromise through network-based attacks.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

RIOT-OS

Versions: 2023.01 and all prior versions

Operating Systems: RIOT-OS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with 6LoWPAN network stack enabled and processing fragmented IP datagrams

📦 What is this software?

Riot by Riot Os

View all CVEs affecting Riot →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to full device compromise, persistence, lateral movement, and data exfiltration

🟠

Likely Case

Denial of service causing device crashes and service disruption

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if fragmented IP datagrams are disabled or patched version is deployed

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Exploitable remotely without authentication via network packets

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Exploitable from any network segment with access to the device

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

CVSS 9.8 indicates trivial exploitation, but requires understanding of 6LoWPAN fragmentation protocols

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in pull request 19680, included in versions after 2023.01

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT/security/advisories

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update RIOT-OS to version after 2023.01 2. Apply patch from PR 19680 3. Rebuild and redeploy firmware 4. Restart affected devices

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable fragmented IP datagrams

all

Prevents processing of fragmented 6LoWPAN packets that trigger the vulnerability

CONFIG_GNRC_SIXLOWPAN_FRAG_RB=n in Makefile or Kconfig

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement network segmentation to isolate IoT devices from untrusted networks
Deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor for 6LoWPAN fragmentation anomalies

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check RIOT-OS version: if <= 2023.01 and CONFIG_GNRC_SIXLOWPAN_FRAG_RB=y, device is vulnerable

Check Version:

make info or check RIOT_VERSION in build configuration

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify version > 2023.01 or check that CONFIG_GNRC_SIXLOWPAN_FRAG_RB=n

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Memory corruption errors
Packet buffer allocation failures
Unexpected device reboots

Network Indicators:

Malformed 6LoWPAN fragmentation packets
Unusual fragmentation patterns

SIEM Query:

device_logs: ("memory corruption" OR "buffer overflow" OR "panic") AND source:"riot-os"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-33975

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-119

Published: May 30, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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