CVE-2026-13480
Received Received - Intake

Buffer Overflow in LoRaWAN TS004 Fragment Transport

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-13480, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-26

Last updated on: 2026-08-26

Assigner: Zephyr Project

Description

The LoRaWAN TS004 Fragmented Data Block Transport handler frag_transport_package_callback() in subsys/lorawan/services/frag_transport.c parses downlink command bytes without validating that enough payload bytes remain before each access. The loop's only bound is rx_pos < len; after consuming the one-byte command id the handler cast rx_buf + rx_pos to a 10-byte struct frag_transport_setup_req, and for a DATA_FRAGMENT command passed &rx_buf[rx_pos] to the fragment decoder, which reads exactly ctx.frag_size bytes β€” with no remaining-length check in either case. The fragment size is attacker-chosen in a preceding FRAG_SESSION_SETUP command (ctx.frag_size = req->frag_size, capped at CONFIG_LORAWAN_FRAG_TRANSPORT_MAX_FRAG_SIZE, default 232). rx_buf aliases the 255-byte static MacCtx.RxPayload buffer in the loramac-node MAC layer, while len is the actual decrypted payload length. By padding a downlink with mismatched-index DATA_FRAGMENT filler commands (each advancing rx_pos by three bytes without producing an answer) and appending one matching-index fragment near the end of the payload, an attacker can make the decoder read up to roughly frag_size bytes past the end of RxPayload, copying adjacent static memory into the decoder buffers and the FUOTA flash image. The handler runs only on downlinks that have already passed the LoRaWAN frame MIC and FRMPayload decryption, so the defect is reachable only by a party holding the device's session keys (the FUOTA server or an attacker who has compromised those keys). The out-of-bounds bytes are never returned to the sender β€” the only uplink emitted is a status answer carrying fragment counts β€” so there is no direct disclosure channel, and on typical flat-memory LoRaWAN MCUs the over-read stays within mapped memory, making a crash unlikely. The impact is therefore a bounded out-of-bounds read with limited confidentiality consequence and no write or control-flow primitive. The fix adds remaining-length guards before each access.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-26
Last Modified
2026-08-26
Generated
2026-08-26
AI Q&A
2026-08-26
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
zephyrproject lorawan *

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-20 The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a buffer over-read in the LoRaWAN fragmented data block transport handler. It occurs when parsing downlink commands without validating remaining payload bytes. The handler reads attacker-chosen fragment sizes and can read up to frag_size bytes past the end of the RxPayload buffer, copying adjacent memory into decoder buffers.

Detection Guidance

Detection requires analyzing LoRaWAN downlink traffic for fragmented data commands. Monitor for mismatched fragment indices or unusually large fragment sizes. Check logs for decoder errors or unexpected memory access patterns in the LoRaWAN stack.

Impact Analysis

The impact is limited to a bounded out-of-bounds read with no direct disclosure channel. The over-read stays within mapped memory on typical LoRaWAN MCUs, making crashes unlikely. Only parties with session keys (FUOTA server or attackers with compromised keys) can exploit this.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the official patch adding remaining-length guards before buffer accesses. Update LoRaWAN stack to the fixed version. Restrict FUOTA server access to trusted parties and rotate session keys if compromised.

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