A buffer over-read was discovered in the CoAP library in Arm Mbed OS 5.15.3. The CoAP parser is responsible for parsing received CoAP packets. The function sn_coap_parser_options_parse_multiple_options() parses CoAP options that may occur multiple consecutive times in a single packet. While processing the options, packet_data_pptr is accessed after being incremented by option_len without a prior out-of-bounds memory check. The temp_parsed_uri_query_ptr is validated for a correct range, but the range valid for temp_parsed_uri_query_ptr is derived from the amount of allocated heap memory, not the actual input size. Therefore the check of temp_parsed_uri_query_ptr may be insufficient for safe access to the area pointed to by packet_data_pptr. As a result, access to a memory area outside of the intended boundary of the packet buffer is made.
Weakness
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Affected Software
| Name |
Vendor |
Start Version |
End Version |
| Mbed_os |
Arm |
5.15.3 (including) |
5.15.3 (including) |
Potential Mitigations
- Assume all input is malicious. Use an “accept known good” input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
- When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, “boat” may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as “red” or “blue.”
- Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code’s environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright.
- To reduce the likelihood of introducing an out-of-bounds read, ensure that you validate and ensure correct calculations for any length argument, buffer size calculation, or offset. Be especially careful of relying on a sentinel (i.e. special character such as NUL) in untrusted inputs.
References