CVE-2024-30961
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an insecure permissions vulnerability in ROS2 navigation2 that allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code via the error-thrown mechanism in nav2_bt_navigator. It affects ROS2 Humble distributions with navigation2 components. Attackers with local access can exploit this to gain elevated privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- ROS2 navigation2
- ROS2 Humble
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise, data theft, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local attacker gains elevated privileges to execute arbitrary code, potentially disrupting robotic operations or accessing sensitive system resources.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper access controls, network segmentation, and minimal local user accounts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and knowledge of the vulnerable component. The error-thrown mechanism must be triggered under specific conditions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in navigation2 pull request #4180
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/ros-planning/navigation2/issues/4175
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update navigation2 package: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade ros-humble-navigation2
2. Restart ROS2 nodes and services
3. Verify the fix by checking navigation2 version
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Local Access
linuxLimit local user accounts and implement strict access controls on systems running ROS2.
Disable Vulnerable Component
linuxTemporarily disable nav2_bt_navigator if not essential for operations.
ros2 run nav2_bt_navigator disable_node
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate ROS2 systems from other critical infrastructure
- Apply principle of least privilege to all user accounts and services on affected systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if navigation2 version is vulnerable by examining package version and checking for the fix in nav2_bt_navigator source code.Check Version:
apt list --installed | grep ros-humble-navigation2Verify Fix Applied:
Verify navigation2 package version is updated and test error-thrown functionality in nav2_bt_navigator.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual error messages from nav2_bt_navigator
- Unexpected privilege escalation attempts
- Suspicious process execution from navigation2 components
Network Indicators:
- Unusual local network traffic from ROS2 systems
- Unexpected connections from navigation2 services
SIEM Query:
process_name:"nav2_bt_navigator" AND (event_type:"privilege_escalation" OR error_severity:"critical")