Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
ReconGain link-local network access
-
DeliveryCraft ICMPv6 RA with 6CO option length=3 and context_len 136-255
-
ExploitSend single packet to target Zephyr device
-
Installhandle_ra_6co() bypasses bounds check
-
C2size_t underflow produces ~SIZE_MAX memset length
-
ExecuteUnbounded kernel memory zeroed
-
ImpactSystem crash and memory integrity loss
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | The Zephyr build must be compiled with CONFIG_NET_6LO_CONTEXT enabled - this is a non-default build-time option that must be explicitly selected; builds without it do not contain the vulnerable code path. The attacker must be on the same link as the target device: ICMPv6 Router Advertisements are link-scoped and not forwarded by routers, so internet-based remote exploitation is not possible. Within that link, no authentication is required (CVSS PR:N) and no user interaction is needed. The pre-fix RA option length validation accepts an option length field of 3, which must be set alongside the oversized context_len value; this is a trivial packet construction requirement, not a meaningful barrier. Limiting factors: restricted to layer-2 adjacency (same Ethernet segment, Wi-Fi network, or equivalent); dependent on a non-default build configuration; applicable only to Zephyr RTOS, primarily embedded and IoT targets. |
| Impact | The vendor-assigned CVSS 8.1 score (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H) accurately characterizes the threat profile. The adjacent-network attack vector (AV:A) is a meaningful limiter: Router Advertisements are link-scoped and not forwarded by routers, confining exploitation to hosts on the same layer-2 segment. Within that scope, however, exploitation is low-complexity and requires no authentication, no user interaction, and only a single malformed packet, making it highly reliable once an attacker achieves link-local access. The zero confidentiality impact (C:N) is consistent with the description - the memset overwrites rather than leaks memory. No EPSS score was present in the input data, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified from available signals. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog and no public exploit code has been identified, though the public patch commit and security advisory describe the bug in sufficient detail to reconstruct the trigger condition. The non-default build flag CONFIG_NET_6LO_CONTEXT constrains the affected population to Zephyr builds that explicitly enable 6LoWPAN context support, which narrows real-world exposure further. For IoT and embedded deployments where Zephyr is common and devices may share a wireless link with untrusted peers, this should be treated as high priority. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has gained access to the same network link as a Zephyr device - for example, via a shared Wi-Fi segment, a compromised IoT gateway, or physical access to the local network - sends a single crafted ICMPv6 Router Advertisement with a 6LoWPAN Context Option whose context_len field is set to a value between 136 and 255 and whose option length field is set to 3. The Zephyr kernel processes the packet through handle_ra_6co() without rejecting the oversized context_len, triggering the size_t underflow and an unbounded memset that corrupts contiguous kernel memory. The device crashes, causing a denial of service, with potential memory integrity corruption prior to the fault; no exploit code is publicly available, but the patch diff makes the trigger condition fully transparent. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 19, 2026
Memory corruption in Zephyr RTOS's IPv6 neighbor discovery stack allows any unauthenticated host on the same network link to crash or corrupt kernel memory with a single crafted ICMPv6 Router Advertisement. The handle_ra_6co() function in subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c fails to bound the 8-bit context_len field from a 6LoWPAN Context Option to the RFC 6775 maximum of 128, triggering an unsigned size_t underflow that causes memset to overwrite an unbounded region of kernel memory. This produces a reliable adjacent-network denial of service with collateral memory integrity loss; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, though the patch commit and security advisory are publicly available.
RemediationAI
Apply the upstream patch from commit 15e838c739be637bf23fd56a5c26f2b32079551b (https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/15e838c739be637bf23fd56a5c26f2b32079551b), which inserts a bounds check rejecting any context_len greater than 128 before the length computation, aligning enforcement with the RFC 6775 maximum. Consult the GitHub Security Advisory at https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-h5m5-hm6j-cgpf for the official advisory and any patched release tags; an exact fixed release version was not confirmed from available data. If patching is not immediately possible, disable CONFIG_NET_6LO_CONTEXT in the build configuration to eliminate the vulnerable code path entirely - this removes 6LoWPAN Context Option support but is the safest compensating control. As a secondary control, restrict ICMPv6 Router Advertisement ingress at the network boundary or enforce RA Guard (RFC 6105) on managed switches to limit which hosts can send RAs on the link, reducing the attacker pool; note that RA Guard configuration errors or hardware limitations may leave gaps in enforcement.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability resides in Zephyr RTOS (cpe:2.3:a:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) within the handle_ra_6co() function in subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c, which processes 6LoWPAN Context Options (6CO) carried inside ICMPv6 Router Advertisements as defined by RFC 6775. The root cause is CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write): the 8-bit context_len field extracted from the incoming packet is used to compute context_len / 8 and then drive a memset on context->prefix, a fixed 16-byte array, without first validating that context_len does not exceed 128. When context_len is in the range 136-255, the integer division yields 17-31, making the expression sizeof(context->prefix) - context_len/8 evaluate to 16 minus a value larger than 16. Because the memset length parameter is an unsigned size_t, this subtraction underflows to approximately SIZE_MAX, causing the memset to zero an unbounded region of kernel memory contiguous with the 6lo context structure. The pre-fix validation checked only the ICMPv6 option length field (len), which a value of 3 satisfies, so the bounds check was bypassed entirely. The vulnerable code path is compiled only when the build-time flag CONFIG_NET_6LO_CONTEXT is enabled.
Know when Zephyr gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
AV:A because Router Advertisements are link-scoped; PR:N as no credential check precedes the handler; I:H and A:H for memory integrity corruption and reliable crash; C:N as memset overwrites rather than leaks data.
Primary rating from Vendor (zephyr).
CVSS VectorVendor: zephyr
DescriptionCVE.org
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.
Executive ViewAI
Zephyr RTOS deployments are vulnerable to network-based denial of service and kernel memory corruption via crafted IPv6 Router Advertisement packets from unauthenticated hosts on the same network link. This affects embedded systems and IoT devices running Zephyr, potentially causing system crashes and memory integrity loss with reliable, single-packet exploitation. Organizations using Zephyr-based devices in networked environments face service interruption and potential data corruption risks.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
Potential off-by-one buffer overflow vulnerability in the Zephyr fuse file system. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0),
An out-of-bounds write in the Zephyr RTOS DNS resolver (dns_unpack_name()) lets a crafted DNS response corrupt memory on
Possible variant of CVE-2021-3434 in function le_ecred_reconf_req. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerabilit
Unchecked user input length in /subsys/net/l2/wifi/wifi_shell.c can cause buffer overflows. Rated critical severity (CVS
Potential buffer overflow vulnerability in the Zephyr CAN bus subsystem. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulner
Integer Underflow in 6LoWPAN IPHC Header Uncompression in Zephyr. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability
Buffer overflow in Zephyr USB DFU DNLOAD. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable
DOS: Incorrect 802154 Frame Validation for Omitted Source / Dest Addresses. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vul
zephyr-rtos version 1.12.0 contains a NULL base pointer reference vulnerability in sys_ring_buf_put(), sys_ring_buf_get(
Potential buffer overflow vulnerabilities n the Zephyr Bluetooth subsystem. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.6), this vul
The documentation specifies that the BT_GATT_PERM_READ_LESC and BT_GATT_PERM_WRITE_LESC defines for a Bluetooth characte
Potential buffer overflows in the Bluetooth subsystem due to asserts being disabled in /subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_core.c
EUVD-2026-63074
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
GitHub
Exploit-DB