CVE-2023-5184Public exploit

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.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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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

  1. Sep 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=* <=3.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Zephyr Project · Zephyr RTOSversion=* <=3.4

Published CVSS scores

7.0Zephyr ProjectCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H
8.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-195Signed to Unsigned Conversion Error
CWE-120Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')
CAPEC-100Overflow Buffers
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

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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