Improper Input Validation in Gazebo Plugins Leads to DoS

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an improper input validation issue in the gazebo_ros_diff_drive.cpp component of gazebo_plugins version 3.9.0. It allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by supplying a specially crafted geometry_msgs::Twist message.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring the ROS topic /cmd_vel for malformed geometry_msgs::Twist messages, especially those containing NaN (Not a Number) values or invalid ranges in the linear velocity components.

A practical approach is to subscribe to the /cmd_vel topic and inspect incoming messages for non-finite values or unexpected data that could trigger the vulnerability.

For example, you can use the following ROS command to echo messages on the /cmd_vel topic and manually check for suspicious values:

• ros2 topic echo /cmd_vel

Additionally, you can write a custom ROS node or script to automatically validate the fields of geometry_msgs::Twist messages for finite and valid ranges to detect malformed inputs.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Impact Analysis

The impact of this vulnerability is that an attacker can cause a Denial of Service (DoS) condition in the affected software, potentially disrupting normal operations by exploiting the improper input validation.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Compliance Impact

The provided information does not specify any direct impact of the CVE-2026-38891 vulnerability on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation steps include filtering or validating all incoming geometry_msgs::Twist messages on the /cmd_vel topic to ensure they contain only finite and valid values before they are processed by the gazebo_ros_diff_drive plugin.

You should implement input validation checks in your ROS nodes or middleware to reject or sanitize malformed messages that could cause Denial of Service.

If possible, restrict access to the /cmd_vel topic to trusted nodes or users to prevent untrusted or malicious message injection.

Monitoring and alerting on unusual or malformed messages on /cmd_vel can also help in early detection and response.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0