CVE-2026-10773
Received Received - Intake

Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Zephyr RTOS DHCPv4 Client

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-10773, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-01

Last updated on: 2026-08-01

Assigner: Zephyr Project

Description

The DHCPv4 client helper net_dhcpv4_msg_type_name() in subsys/net/lib/dhcpv4/dhcpv4.c indexes a static 8-element const char * name table after a faulty bounds check. The guard used msg_type <= sizeof(name) instead of msg_type <= ARRAY_SIZE(name); sizeof returns the byte size of the pointer array (32 on 32-bit, 64 on 64-bit targets) rather than the element count of 8, so message-type values from 9 up to that byte size pass the check and cause name[msg_type - 1] to read past the end of the array. The msg_type value originates from the DHCP MESSAGE TYPE option, which is read as an unchecked raw byte from a received packet (net_pkt_read_u8) and passed unmodified into the lookup. A DHCP server, or any host able to inject a spoofed DHCP reply onto the client's link, can therefore drive the index out of bounds. The out-of-range slot yields a garbage const char * that is then dereferenced by a %s log conversion. The lookup is reached only from a debug log statement (NET_DBG / LOG_DBG), so the out-of-bounds read is triggerable only when the DHCPv4 log module is built at DEBUG level (CONFIG_NET_DHCPV4_LOG_LEVEL_DBG), which is not the default configuration. When that condition holds, the result is an out-of-bounds read and a wild-pointer dereference: most likely a crash of the DHCP client (denial of service) and potentially disclosure of an adjacent pointer's contents through the log output. The fix replaces sizeof with ARRAY_SIZE, restoring the correct 1..8 acceptance window.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-01
Last Modified
2026-08-01
Generated
2026-08-01
AI Q&A
2026-08-01
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
zephyrproject zephyr to 8 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-125 The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
CWE-682 The product performs a calculation that generates incorrect or unintended results that are later used in security-critical decisions or resource management.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the DHCPv4 client of the Zephyr RTOS. It occurs because the code incorrectly checks the bounds of a message type value by comparing it to the size of a pointer array (32 or 64 bytes) instead of the actual number of elements (8). This allows an attacker to craft a DHCP packet with a malicious message type value that causes the program to read past the end of a static array, leading to a crash or potential information disclosure.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is only triggerable when the DHCPv4 log module is built at DEBUG level (CONFIG_NET_DHCPV4_LOG_LEVEL_DBG), which is not the default. Check if this debug configuration is enabled in your Zephyr RTOS build. Monitor DHCP client logs for crashes or unexpected behavior when DHCP traffic is present.

Impact Analysis

If the vulnerable DHCPv4 client is running with debug logging enabled, an attacker on the same network could send a specially crafted DHCP reply packet. This could crash the client device, causing a denial of service. In rare cases, it might also expose memory contents through log output.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the official fix by replacing sizeof with ARRAY_SIZE in the net_dhcpv4_msg_type_name() function. Ensure the DHCPv4 log module is not set to DEBUG level (CONFIG_NET_DHCPV4_LOG_LEVEL_DBG). Update to the patched Zephyr RTOS version if available.

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