Modem reboot via malformed RRC uplink configuration
Published Dec 4, 2023 · Updated May 29, 2025
Reachable assertion in MediaTek 5G Modem NR15, NR16, and NR17 allows physically proximate attackers to reboot the modem via malformed RRC. During RRC attachment, a malicious gNB changes the 92nd downlink-transport-block byte, producing invalid uplink configuration fields that reach an assertion in nr_rfd_configdatabase.c. The pre-authentication trigger requires radio proximity and can repeatedly interrupt 5G connectivity while the modem reboots and recovers.
Summary
What happened
Reachable assertion in MediaTek 5G Modem NR15, NR16, and NR17 allows physically proximate attackers to reboot the modem via malformed RRC. During RRC attachment, a malicious gNB changes the 92nd downlink-transport-block byte, producing invalid uplink configuration fields that reach an assertion in nr_rfd_configdatabase.c. The pre-authentication trigger requires radio proximity and can repeatedly interrupt 5G connectivity while the modem reboots and recovers.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-32843
- Published
- Dec 4, 2023
- Updated
- May 29, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-617, T1499
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 4, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 29, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- 5Ghoul V13 Invalid RRC Uplink Config Elementfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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