Headline
CVE-2022-48217: Potential vulnerability: topic names from ROS parameters · Issue #1 · tradr-project/tf_remapper_cpp
** DISPUTED ** The tf_remapper_node component 1.1.1 for Robot Operating System (ROS) allows attackers, who control the source code of a different node in the same ROS application, to change a robot’s behavior. This occurs because a topic name depends on the attacker-controlled old_tf_topic_name and/or new_tf_topic_name parameter. NOTE: the vendor’s position is “it is the responsibility of the programmer to make sure that only known and required parameters are set and unexpected parameters are not.”
Hi,
We notice that you are using topic names from ROS parameter at the following locations:
this->oldTfTopic, 100, &TfRemapperNode::oldTfCallback, this);
this->remappedTfTopic, 100, this->staticTf);
this->remappedTfTopic, 100, &TfRemapperNode::remappedTfCallback, this);
this->oldTfTopic, 100, this->staticTf);
For security reasons detailed below, we strongly suggest avoiding the usage of strings from parameters as topic names.
Although parameters are usually set in parameter files, they can also be changed by nodes. Specifically, other nodes in the same ROS application can also change the parameters listed above before it’s used, either by accident or intentionally (i.e., by potential attackers).
Such changes can lead to disruption of the remapper functionality, as the input or the output tf topic is changed. Moreover, if an attacker exists, she can even change the tf message content by first fool the remapper to publish to a wrong topic like /tf_fake, and then forwarding messages from /tf_fake to /tf after modifying the message contents. Downstream functionalities like navigation will be affected, and severe consequences such as crashes may happen. Because ROS is an OSS (open-source software) community, third-party nodes are widely used in ROS applications, usually without complete vetting of their behavior, which gives the opportunity to potentially malicious actors to inject malicious code (e.g, by submitting hypocrite commits like in other OSS systems [1]) to infiltrate the ROS applications that use it (or software supply chain attacks, one of the primary means for real-world attackers today [2]).
We understand that using parameters to set topic names brings flexibility. Still, for the purpose of security, we strongly suggest that you avoid such vulnerable programming patterns if possible. For example, to avoid the exposure of this specific vulnerability, you may consider alternatives like remapping, which is designed for configuring names when launching the nodes.
[1] Q. Wu and K. Lu, “On the feasibility of stealthily introducing vulnerabilities in open-source software via hypocrite commits,” 2021, https://linuxreviews.org/images/d/d9/OpenSourceInsecurity.pdf.
[2] Supply chain attacks are the hacker’s new favourite weapon. and the threat is getting bigger. https://www.zdnet.com/article/supply-chain-attacks-are-the-hackers-new-favourite-weapon-and-the-threat-is-getting-bigger/.