CVE-2021-34372 in Jetson
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2021
Trusty (the trusted OS produced by NVIDIA for Jetson devices) driver contains a vulnerability in the NVIDIA OTE protocol message parsing code where an integer overflow in a malloc() size calculation leads to a buffer overflow on the heap, which might result in information disclosure, escalation of privileges, and denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-34372 resides within Trusty, NVIDIA's secure operating system designed specifically for Jetson devices that provides a trusted execution environment for sensitive operations. This security flaw manifests in the NVIDIA OTE protocol message parsing implementation where a critical integer overflow occurs during malloc size calculation. The flaw represents a fundamental issue in memory management where arithmetic operations fail to properly validate input values, leading to an unexpectedly large allocation size that exceeds the intended buffer boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability begins with the parsing of OTE protocol messages where the system calculates memory requirements based on user-provided data without adequate overflow checking. When an attacker crafts a malicious message with carefully constructed parameters, the integer overflow causes the malloc function to allocate insufficient heap memory, creating a condition where subsequent data writes exceed the allocated buffer space. This heap-based buffer overflow creates multiple attack vectors including information disclosure through memory corruption, privilege escalation by corrupting kernel data structures, and denial of service by crashing the trusted os component. The vulnerability specifically maps to CWE-190, which describes integer overflow conditions, and CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow scenarios, though the heap-based nature places it in the broader category of memory corruption vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-34372 extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects the fundamental security posture of NVIDIA Jetson devices that rely on Trusty for secure operations. These devices are commonly deployed in automotive, robotics, and edge computing applications where the compromise of the trusted execution environment could lead to complete system takeover. The vulnerability affects devices running NVIDIA's Tegra platform and requires no user interaction for exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in embedded systems where physical access might not be required for attack delivery. The attack surface includes any application or service that communicates with the Trusty OS through the OTE protocol, potentially affecting device management interfaces, secure boot processes, and cryptographic operations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and T1566, covering credential access through exploitation of trusted processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-34372 require immediate patching of the Trusty OS component through NVIDIA's official security updates, as the vulnerability exists in the kernel-level driver code that cannot be effectively addressed through user-space workarounds. Organizations should implement monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on OTE protocol communications. Device administrators should consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to trusted os interfaces and disable unnecessary services that communicate with the vulnerable component. The patching process must be carefully managed as Trusty OS updates often require specific recovery procedures and may impact device functionality. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all Jetson-based deployments to identify potential attack vectors and ensure complete remediation of the integer overflow condition in the malloc size calculation logic.