Out-of-bounds write in IPv6 6LoWPAN Context Option handling via unauthenticated Router Advertisement
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The IPv6 neighbor-discovery code in subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c processes the 6LoWPAN Context Option (6CO, RFC 6775) carried inside ICMPv6 Router Advertisements. In handle_ra_6co() the 8-bit context_len field is taken directly from the packet and was never bounded to the RFC maximum of 128. The function computes context->context_len / 8 and then performs memset(context->prefix + context_len, 0, sizeof(context->prefix) - context_len), where context->prefix is a fixed 16-byte array. With context_len between 136 and 255 (and the option length field set to 3, which the pre-fix validation accepts), context_len / 8 evaluates to 17..31, so the memset length 16 - context_len/8 underflows the unsigned size_t argument to roughly SIZE_MAX. This produces an unbounded out-of-bounds memset that zeroes kernel memory well past the 6lo context structure. The defect is reachable from unauthenticated, link-local input: any host on the same link can send a crafted Router Advertisement with a 6CO option. The RA handler validates only the option length field before calling handle_ra_6co(), so a single packet triggers the wild write. The code is compiled when CONFIG_NET_6LO_CONTEXT is enabled. The impact is a reliable remote (adjacent) denial of service via memory corruption, with collateral integrity loss as the memset zeroes contiguous memory before the system faults. Router Advertisements are link-scoped and not forwarded, so the attacker must be on the same link (AV:A). The fix rejects any context_len greater than 128 before the length computation.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zephyrproject | zephyr | 1.8.0 to before 4.3.2; 4.4.0 to before 4.4.2 | 4.3.2, 4.4.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- zephyr Vendorzephyrproject Affected 1.8.0 to before 4.3.2; 4.4.0 to before 4.4.2 Fixed in 4.3.2, 4.4.2 Patch available CNA
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | zephyrproject |
- cpe:2.3:o:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·zephyrproject
Remediation
- Fix · CNA zephyr (zephyrproject) Fixed in 4.3.2, 4.4.2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
zephyrproject zephyr 4.3.2, 4.4.2
2 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 1 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-10746 Stack buffer overflow in Zephyr hl7800 modem driver parsing network-supplied +CGCONTRDP address fieldsPriority MEDIUM 40
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-12633
- 2026-11-04 Fix available: [email protected] · CNA
References
Patch 1
Other 1
More zephyrproject vulnerabilities
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- TI-2026-01361 dns: memory‑safety issue in the DNS name parser CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-09174 Unterminated URI buffer causes out-of-bounds read in LwM2M firmware pull (Package URI) CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-09168 Stack buffer overflow in `net_ipaddr_parse()` IPv4 address-with-port parsing in `subsys/net/ip/utils.c` CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-09625 net: lib: http_server: Buffer Under-read CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2021-02863 Usb bluetooth device ACL read cb buffer overflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences