Local buffer overflow via unchecked negative size
Published Sep 27, 2023 · Updated Jun 18, 2025
Buffer overflow in Zephyr RTOS IPM drivers through 3.4 allows local users to cause service interruption or execute code via crafted negative sizes. The imx_mu_ipm_send and mcux_mailbox_ipm_send functions only reject sizes above a maximum, then pass negative size values to memcpy, which converts them to large unsigned lengths and overruns stack buffers. Exploitation requires low-privilege code able to call the IPM send path across a security boundary; the vendor reports possible denial of service or arbitrary code execution and no live reproduction.
Summary
What happened
Buffer overflow in Zephyr RTOS IPM drivers through 3.4 allows local users to cause service interruption or execute code via crafted negative sizes. The imx_mu_ipm_send and mcux_mailbox_ipm_send functions only reject sizes above a maximum, then pass negative size values to memcpy, which converts them to large unsigned lengths and overruns stack buffers. Exploitation requires low-privilege code able to call the IPM send path across a security boundary; the vendor reports possible denial of service or arbitrary code execution and no live reproduction.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-5184
- Published
- Sep 27, 2023
- Updated
- Jun 18, 2025
- Vendor
- Zephyr Project
- Product
- Zephyr RTOS
- Classifications
- CWE-195, CWE-120, CAPEC-100, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 18, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=* <=3.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Zephyr RTOS 3.x.0 Buffer Overflowsproof of concept · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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