CVE-2025-34457
📋 TL;DR
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Dire Wolf's KISS frame processing allows remote unauthenticated attackers to cause denial-of-service through application crashes. The vulnerability occurs when processing specially crafted KISS frames at maximum length, leading to memory corruption. All Dire Wolf users running vulnerable versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- wb2osz/direwolf (Dire Wolf)
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, though this requires specific memory layout conditions and is less likely than DoS.
Likely Case
Denial-of-service through application crashes when processing malicious KISS frames from remote sources.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or if network controls prevent malicious KISS frame delivery.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to Dire Wolf's KISS interface and knowledge of maximum frame length triggering conditions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Commit 694c954 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/commit/694c954
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to latest Dire Wolf version from GitHub
2. Apply commit 694c954 if building from source
3. Restart Dire Wolf service after update
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
linuxRestrict network access to Dire Wolf's KISS interface to trusted sources only.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <kiss_port> -s <trusted_ip> -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <kiss_port> -j DROP
Disable KISS Interface
allDisable KISS protocol if not required for your use case.
Edit direwolf.conf and comment out KISS-related configuration lines
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit KISS interface exposure
- Monitor for application crashes and restart Dire Wolf automatically if crashes occur
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Dire Wolf version with 'direwolf -v' and verify it's 1.8 or earlier without commit 694c954 applied.Check Version:
direwolf -v 2>&1 | grep -i versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is after commit 694c954 or check if KISS frame processing handles maximum length frames without crashing.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Dire Wolf process crashes
- Segmentation fault errors in system logs
- KISS frame processing errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual KISS frame traffic patterns
- Maximum length KISS frames from unexpected sources
SIEM Query:
process.name="direwolf" AND (event.action="crashed" OR syslog.message:"segmentation fault")🔗 References
- https://github.com/marlinkcyber/advisories/blob/main/advisories/MCSAID-2025-010-direwolf-stack-buffer-overflow-kiss-frame.md
- https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/commit/694c954
- https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/issues/617
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/wb2osz-direwolf-stack-based-buffer-overflow-dos
