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Real Time Operating SystemOperating system · Ti

CVE-2021-27429

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.10.03 / 4.40.00 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Texas Instruments TI-RTOS returns a valid pointer to a small buffer on extremely large values. This can trigger an integer overflow vulnerability in 'HeapTrack_alloc' and result in code execution.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Texas Instruments TI-RTOS contains an integer overflow vulnerability in the HeapTrack_alloc function. When extremely large allocation values are provided, the size calculation overflows, causing the function to return a valid pointer to a much smaller buffer than requested. This buffer mismatch can be exploited for heap-based buffer overflows leading to potential code execution.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied TI-RTOS patch or update to a version that addresses CVE-2021-27429. Implement strict input validation on all allocation size parameters to prevent oversized values from reaching HeapTrack_alloc.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Real Time Operating SystemOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simplelink Cc13xx Software Development KitApplication
Affected:< 4.40.00
Simplelink Cc26xx Software Development KitApplication
Affected:< 4.40.00
Simplelink Cc32xx Software Development KitApplication
Affected:< 4.10.03
Simplelink Msp432e401yApplication
Affected:all versions
Simplelink Msp432e411yApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the TI-RTOS or TI SDK product in use
    Locate the product name and version from your project documentation, SDK installation directory, or firmware build artifacts. Common locations: project manifest, makefile, or firmware metadata file.
    Affected if The product is any of: Ti Real Time Operating System, Ti Simplelink Cc13xx SDK, Ti Simplelink Cc26xx SDK, Ti Simplelink Cc32xx SDK, Ti Simplelink Msp432e401y, or Ti Simplelink Msp432e411y.
  2. Verify the installed SDK version
    Check the SDK version file or header within your development environment. For CC13xx/CC26xx: look in the SDK docs or version.h. For CC32xx: check the SDK release notes or version manifest.
    Affected if For CC13xx or CC26xx SDK the version is below 4.40.00, or for CC32xx SDK the version is below 4.10.03, or for Ti-RTOS/MSP432e devices it is any version.
  3. Determine if HeapTrack is enabled
    Search your project source code and configuration files for HeapTrack_alloc calls, heap tracking settings, or the HeapTrack module. Check your TI-RTOS configuration (often in a .cfg or .tirtos file) for heap-related modules.
    Affected if HeapTrack or HeapTrack_alloc is present and actively used in the firmware/application code.
  4. Inspect allocation calls for size parameters
    Review source code files that invoke HeapTrack_alloc or any heap allocation functions. Look for dynamic size calculations involving arithmetic that could overflow, especially when user-controlled or network-derived values feed into size arguments.
    Affected if Any allocation request passes size values that could be influenced by external input without rigorous bounds checking.
  5. Check firmware version on target device
    If you have a compiled firmware binary, extract and examine the version string via JTAG, serial console, or firmware metadata. Compare this build against known vulnerable SDK versions.
    Affected if The firmware was built using an affected SDK version and includes HeapTrack functionality.

You are affected if your product uses any version of TI-RTOS or a CC13xx/CC26xx SDK below 4.40.00, or a CC32xx SDK below 4.10.03, and the HeapTrack_alloc function is enabled with unchecked allocation size parameters that can be controlled by external input.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.10.03 / 4.40.00 or later
Fixed in 4.10.034.40.00
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied TI-RTOS patch or update to a version that addresses CVE-2021-27429. Implement strict input validation on all allocation size parameters to prevent oversized values from reaching HeapTrack_alloc.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Simplelink CC13xx SDK >= 4.40.00, Simplelink CC26xx SDK >= 4.40.00, Simplelink CC32xx SDK >= 4.10.03

  1. 1. Identify which TI-RTOS-based product you are using (CC13xx, CC26xx, CC32xx, or MSP432E401Y/MSP432E411Y)
  2. 2. For Simplelink CC13xx SDK: Upgrade to version 4.40.00 or later from ti.com
  3. 3. For Simplelink CC26xx SDK: Upgrade to version 4.40.00 or later from ti.com
  4. 4. For Simplelink CC32xx SDK: Upgrade to version 4.10.03 or later from ti.com
  5. 5. For Simplelink MSP432E401Y/MSP432E411Y: Contact TI directly for firmware updates or mitigation guidance as these have no fixed versions listed
  6. 6. Rebuild and redeploy the firmware with the updated SDK/RTOS
  7. 7. Verify the allocation behavior with large values to confirm the overflow is prevented
Caveat SDK version upgrades may introduce API changes; review TI migration guides for your specific SDK version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Real Time Operating System Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-27429 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data