CVE-2024-38920

Open Robotics Robotic Operating System 2 (ROS2) and Nav2 humble versions were discovered to contain a use-after-free via the nav2_amcl process

Critical · published December 5, 2024

CVSS v3.1
9.1
EPSS
1%
Percentile
43.9
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

🚨 A crafty use-after-free bug in ROS2 could allow remote attackers to mess with crucial system parameters—talk about giving hackers the keys to the robotics kingdom! 🔥 Think of this like a delivery service where a rogue driver takes over your route, changing the destination mid-trip—your carefully programmed robots could suddenly veer off course with disastrous results! An attacker can send a crafted request to modify the dynamic parameter `/amcl max_beams`, which could lead to unexpected behaviors in robotic systems. This vulnerability could result in loss of control over autonomous functions, potentially putting both the robots and their environments at serious risk.

Put simply

Think of this like a delivery service where a rogue driver takes over your route, changing the destination mid-trip—your carefully programmed robots could suddenly veer off course with disastrous results! In the Open Robotics nav2_amcl process, a use-after-free vulnerability has been identified that gets triggered when the value of a dynamic parameter is changed remotely. This can lead to critical memory corruption issues, allowing an attacker to manipulate system behavior.

What to do

An attacker can send a crafted request to modify the dynamic parameter `/amcl max_beams`, which could lead to unexpected behaviors in robotic systems. This vulnerability could result in loss of control over autonomous functions, potentially putting both the robots and their environments at serious risk. To protect your systems, urgently update to the latest patched version of ROS2 and Nav2. Temporarily disable remote parameter changes if possible, and review access controls to minimize exposure. Implement monitoring for unusual parameter changes as an additional layer of defense. You've got this! With these steps, you'll tighten security and keep those robots on the right path! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.1 · CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00529 · 43.9th percentile
Published
2024-12-05T00:00Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 05 DEC 00:00Z
    Open Robotics Robotic Operating System 2 (ROS2) and Nav2 humble versions were discovered to contain a use-after-free via the nav2_amcl process
    cvelistv5