CVE-2023-5184 – This CVE involves two signed-to-unsigned conver... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-5184?

CVE-2023-5184 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (HIGH). This CVE involves two signed-to-unsigned conversion errors and buffer overflow vulnerabilities in Zephyr RTOS IPM drivers. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, crash systems, or leak sensitive information. Affected systems include any devices running vulnerable versions of Zephyr RTOS with IPM drivers enabled.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE involves two signed-to-unsigned conversion errors and buffer overflow vulnerabilities in Zephyr RTOS IPM drivers. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, crash systems, or leak sensitive information. Affected systems include any devices running vulnerable versions of Zephyr RTOS with IPM drivers enabled.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Zephyr RTOS

Versions: 3.x.0 versions (specifically mentioned in references)

Operating Systems: Zephyr RTOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with IPM (Inter-Processor Messaging) drivers enabled and configured.

📦 What is this software?

Zephyr by Zephyrproject

View all CVEs affecting Zephyr →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation.

🟠

Likely Case

System crashes, denial of service, or memory corruption leading to unstable operation.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper memory protections and input validation are in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires IPM driver exposure and specific conditions, but could be exploited remotely if accessible.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Similar risk profile but limited to internal network access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploit details and proof-of-concept code are publicly available in security advisories and mailing lists.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Check latest Zephyr releases post-advisory (November 2023)

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-8x3p-q3r5-xh9g

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Zephyr RTOS to patched version. 2. Rebuild firmware with updated source. 3. Flash updated firmware to affected devices. 4. Restart devices.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable IPM Drivers

all

Temporarily disable Inter-Processor Messaging drivers if not required for functionality.

Modify device tree configuration to disable IPM drivers
Set CONFIG_IPM=n in Kconfig

Enable Stack Protection

all

Enable compiler stack protection features to mitigate buffer overflow impact.

Add -fstack-protector-strong to compiler flags

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement network segmentation to isolate affected devices from untrusted networks.
Deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for buffer overflow attempts and anomalous behavior.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Zephyr version and configuration: 1. Review device firmware version. 2. Verify if IPM drivers are enabled in configuration.

Check Version:

Check Zephyr version in build configuration or via device firmware version command.

Verify Fix Applied:

1. Confirm Zephyr version is updated beyond vulnerable releases. 2. Verify IPM driver code includes proper bounds checking. 3. Test IPM functionality for stability.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

System crashes or reboots
Memory access violation errors
Unusual IPM driver activity

Network Indicators:

Unexpected traffic to IPM-enabled ports
Anomalous inter-processor communication patterns

SIEM Query:

Example: 'device_logs WHERE message CONTAINS "buffer overflow" OR message CONTAINS "IPM driver error"'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-5184

CVSS v3 Score: 7.0 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-120

Published: September 27, 2023

Last Updated: February 13, 2025

🔗 References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/175657/Zephyr-RTOS-3.x.0-Buffer-Overflows.html Exploit,Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2023/Nov/1 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/11/07/1 Mailing List
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-8x3p-q3r5-xh9g Exploit,Vendor Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/175657/Zephyr-RTOS-3.x.0-Buffer-Overflows.html Exploit,Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2023/Nov/1 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/11/07/1 Mailing List
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-8x3p-q3r5-xh9g Exploit,Vendor Advisory

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