Out-of-bounds Read in Zephyrproject Zephyr
CVE-2026-13479
The LoRaWAN application-layer clock-synchronization service parses downlinks in clock_sync_package_callback() (subsys/lorawan/services/clock_sync.c). Its command loop only guarantees that the one-byte command id is in bounds; for the CLOCK_SYNC_CMD_APP_TIME (AppTimeAns) command the handler then reads a 4-byte time correction via sys_get_le32() plus a 1-byte token without checking that 5 bytes remain in the receive buffer (len - rx_pos). A short or crafted AppTimeAns therefore reads up to 5 bytes past the end of the decrypted payload. The payload (rx_buf/len) is the decrypted application frame delivered to the registered downlink callback (mcps_indication->Buffer/BufferSize). Reaching the handler requires a frame on the clock-sync port that passes LoRaWAN's MAC integrity check and FRMPayload decryption, so the practical attacker is a malicious or compromised network/application server (the designated sender of AppTimeAns) or a party holding the session keys, rather than an arbitrary radio listener. The over-read is bounded: the backing store is a fixed 255-byte static buffer, so the few stray bytes do not fault, and the read values (time_correction, token) are used only internally and never transmitted, so there is no disclosure to the attacker and no crash. The sole effect is that a stale token matching ctx.req_token can apply a garbage time_correction to the device's own clock offset (ctx.time_offset), a minor integrity impact confined to the victim's time estimate. The fix adds an explicit length check that drops a too-short AppTimeAns. Note the sibling one-byte reads in the periodicity and force-resync handlers remain unguarded with the same negligible impact.
Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 3.1 (Low). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
Affected products
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-13479?
- CVE-2026-13479 is a low-severity vulnerability in Zephyrproject Zephyr, classified under Out-of-bounds Read. CVSS score: 3.1/10. Published 2026-08-26.
- How severe is CVE-2026-13479?
- Low severity. CVSS v3 base score is 3.1 out of 10.