Classic Buffer OverflowWeakness · CWE-120

CVE-2024-37863

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Open Robotics Robotic Operating System 2 (ROS2) and Nav2 humble versions were discovered to contain a buffer overflow via the nav2_amcl process. This vulnerability is triggered via sending a crafted .yaml file.

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 · moderate confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the nav2_amcl process of ROS2 and Nav2 humble versions. The vulnerability is triggered when nav2_amcl parses a maliciously crafted .yaml configuration file, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or denial of service due to memory corruption.

MitigationApply available security patches for Nav2 humble when released. Until patches are available, restrict access to systems running nav2_amcl and validate all .yaml configuration files before deployment.

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

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Confirm nav2_amcl node is running
    Run 'ros2 node list' or 'ros2 node info /amcl' to see if the nav2_amcl node is active in the ROS2 environment
    Affected if nav2_amcl process is currently executing in the ROS2 system
  2. Identify Nav2 package version
    Run 'ros2 pkg version nav2_amcl' or check the installed nav2_amcl package version via the package manager (apt list --installed | grep nav2)
    Affected if The installed version corresponds to Nav2 humble branch (check if version is in the humble release timeline)
  3. Locate YAML configuration files used by nav2_amcl
    Inspect the launch file or parameter file that starts nav2_amcl; look for 'params' or 'param_file' arguments pointing to .yaml files, typically in /opt/ros/humble/share/nav2_amcl or custom config directories
    Affected if nav2_amcl is loading .yaml configuration files from any location
  4. Verify source of configuration files
    Examine ownership and access permissions of the .yaml files identified in step 3; check if they reside in world-writable directories or are pulled from untrusted sources
    Affected if Configuration files are writable by untrusted users or originate from untrusted locations
  5. Check for custom parameter overrides
    Review launch files and startup scripts for command-line parameter overrides or additional YAML files merged into the nav2_amcl configuration
    Affected if Custom parameters or multiple YAML files are being loaded beyond the default configuration

The environment is affected if nav2_amcl is running with Nav2 humble and loads .yaml configuration files, especially from locations with relaxed access controls.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply available security patches for Nav2 humble when released. Until patches are available, restrict access to systems running nav2_amcl and validate all .yaml configuration files before deployment.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2024-37863 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
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