Buffer overflow in Riot-Os Riot

CVE-2025-53888

RIOT-OS, an operating system that supports Internet of Things devices, has an ineffective size check implemented with `assert()` can lead to buffer overflow in versions up to and including 2025.04. Assertions are usually compiled out in production builds. If assertions are the only defense against untrusted inputs, the software may be exposed to attacks that utilize the lack of proper input checks. In the `l2filter_add()` function shown below, `addr_len` is checked using an assertion and is subsequently used as an argument in a `memcpy()` call. When assertions are disabled, there would be no size check for `addr_len`. As a consequence, if an attacker were to provide an `addr_len` value larger than `CONFIG_L2FILTER_ADDR_MAXLEN`, they can trigger a buffer overflow and write past the `list[i].addr` buffer. If the unchecked input is attacker-controlled, the impact of the buffer overflow can range from a denial of service to arbitrary code execution. Commit f6f7de4ccc107c018630e4c15500825caf02e1c2 contains a patch for the vulnerability.

Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 9.8 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.007 (52.9th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 53rd percentile — 52.9% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2025-53888: held from 0.007 to 0.007.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.007 · newest: 0.007 · change: +0.000

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-53888?
CVE-2025-53888 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Riot-Os Riot, classified under Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input (Classic Buffer Overflow). CVSS score: 9.8/10. Published 2025-07-18.
How severe is CVE-2025-53888?
Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2025-53888 known to be exploited?
1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.