CVE ID

CVE-2024-29450

Title

Privilege Escalation in ROS2 Humble Hawksbill

Vulnerability Type

Authentication Mechanism Flaw

Severity

TBD

Vendor

The Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF)

Products Affected

ROS2 Humble Hawksbill (ROS_VERSION=2 and ROS_PYTHON_VERSION=3)

Description

A critical issue has been discovered in the permission and access control components within ROS2 Humble Hawksbill, specifically versions identified by ROS_VERSION=2 and ROS_PYTHON_VERSION=3. This flaw resides in the authentication system, including protocols, processes, and checks designed to verify the identities of users or devices attempting to access the ROS2 system. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges, gaining unauthorized access and control over the system.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access and control, data breaches, system and network compromise, operational disruption, and the introduction of malware or ransomware. It also poses significant safety risks, as attackers can execute arbitrary code, cause denial of service, and escalate their privileges within the system. The impact spans across multiple areas, including code execution, denial of service, escalation of privileges, and information disclosure.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability can be exploited through various means, including exploiting weak authentication protocols, credential stuffing or brute force attacks, and bypassing authentication checks. These methods allow attackers to circumvent the authentication mechanisms in place and gain elevated access and control.

Solution

To mitigate this vulnerability, ROS2 users are advised to update their systems to the latest version as soon as it is available. Additionally, strengthening authentication protocols, implementing multi-factor authentication, and conducting regular security audits of the authentication processes can help protect against such vulnerabilities.

Workaround

Before an update becomes available, users should enhance the security of their authentication systems by enforcing strong password policies, enabling multi-factor authentication where possible, and restricting access to critical components to only those users who require it. Monitoring and logging access attempts can also help in detecting and responding to unauthorized access attempts promptly.

CVE Status

Confirmed and published.

Credit

Yash Patel and Dr. Parag Rughani

References

N/A