CVE-2025-3753
📋 TL;DR
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in ROS 'rosbag' tool due to unsafe eval() usage on user input in the 'rosbag filter' command. Attackers can execute arbitrary Python code by crafting malicious input. This affects ROS Noetic Ninjemys and earlier distributions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Robot Operating System (ROS)
- rosbag tool
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise allowing attacker to execute arbitrary commands, install malware, pivot to other systems, and exfiltrate sensitive data.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or remote code execution in environments where rosbag processes untrusted input, potentially leading to service disruption or data theft.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper input validation and sandboxing are implemented, though the vulnerability still exists.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires access to execute rosbag filter command with malicious input. No public exploit code identified at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available - ROS Noetic reached end-of-life (EOL) on May 23, 2025
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ros.org/blog/noetic-eol/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Migrate to supported ROS distribution (ROS 2 recommended). 2. If staying on Noetic, implement workarounds below. 3. Monitor for community patches or backports.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation and Sanitization
allImplement strict input validation for all rosbag filter command inputs to prevent malicious payloads.
# Custom wrapper script that validates input before passing to rosbag
# Example: validate_input() function checking for dangerous characters
Restrict rosbag Usage
linuxLimit rosbag filter command execution to trusted users and environments only.
sudo chmod 750 /opt/ros/noetic/bin/rosbag
# Or implement mandatory access controls
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Network segmentation: Isolate ROS systems from untrusted networks and limit inbound connections.
- Monitor rosbag processes: Implement auditing for rosbag filter command usage and alert on suspicious patterns.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ROS version: 'rosversion -d' should return 'noetic' or earlier. Check if rosbag is installed: 'which rosbag'.Check Version:
rosversion -dVerify Fix Applied:
Test with safe input validation: Create test script that attempts to pass malicious eval payloads to verify they're blocked.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual rosbag filter command executions
- Python error messages containing eval() failures
- Process execution of unexpected Python code
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network connections originating from ROS systems
- Data exfiltration patterns from ROS hosts
SIEM Query:
process.name:"rosbag" AND process.args:"filter" AND (process.args:"eval" OR process.args:"__import__" OR process.args:"os.system")