CVE-2021-36357

An issue was discovered in OpenPOWER 2.6 firmware

published October 22, 2021

CVSS
—
EPSS
1%
Percentile
67.3
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚠️ A sneaky type mismatch in OpenPOWER firmware could allow timestamp checks to be bypassed — the kind of oversight that could let time slip right through your fingers! ⏰ Think of it like a library that mislabels its books by the year they were published; a 2021 bestseller could be shelved with 1995 titles if the tags were printed incorrectly. This mismatch can lead to confusion when trying to sort or access important materials — just like this vulnerability can create chaos in systems relying on accurate timestamps. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to bypass critical timestamp checks, potentially allowing unauthorized actions to occur without proper logging or verification. While this isn't labeled as actively exploited, the ramifications could be significant in environments where precise timing is crucial.

Put simply

Think of it like a library that mislabels its books by the year they were published; a 2021 bestseller could be shelved with 1995 titles if the tags were printed incorrectly. This mismatch can lead to confusion when trying to sort or access important materials — just like this vulnerability can create chaos in systems relying on accurate timestamps. This vulnerability occurs because the unpack_timestamp() function incorrectly uses le32_to_cpu() for endian conversion of a uint16_t 'year', resulting in a type mismatch that can truncate values inadvertently. Using the correct endian conversion function is essential to prevent this error.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to bypass critical timestamp checks, potentially allowing unauthorized actions to occur without proper logging or verification. While this isn't labeled as actively exploited, the ramifications could be significant in environments where precise timing is crucial. To address this vulnerability, ensure that your firmware is updated to the latest version where this issue is fixed. Review the code for correct endian conversion practices to avoid similar pitfalls in the future. You've got this! Follow these steps, and you'll keep your systems running smoothly and securely! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.01175 · 67.3th percentile
Published
2021-10-22T11:14Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 22 OCT 11:14Z
    An issue was discovered in OpenPOWER 2.6 firmware
    cvelistv5