CVE-2021-38487 in Connext DDS Professional
Summary
by MITRE • 05/05/2022
RTI Connext DDS Professional, Connext DDS Secure versions 4.2x to 6.1.0, and Connext DDS Micro versions 2.4 and later are vulnerable when an attacker sends a specially crafted packet to flood target devices with unwanted traffic. This may result in a denial-of-service condition and information exposure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2025
RTI Connext DDS Professional and Secure versions ranging from 4.2x through 6.1.0, alongside Connext DDS Micro versions 2.4 and newer, present a significant vulnerability that enables remote attackers to induce denial-of-service conditions through crafted packet flooding. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of incoming network traffic within the DDS (Data Distribution Service) messaging framework, which operates under the assumption that communication participants are trusted entities. The flaw manifests when malicious actors transmit specially constructed packets that exploit weaknesses in the protocol handling mechanisms, leading to resource exhaustion on target systems. Such attacks can overwhelm network interfaces, memory allocation pools, and processing capabilities, effectively rendering the affected DDS services unavailable to legitimate users while potentially exposing sensitive operational data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unspecified denial-of-service conditions, and CWE-20, covering input validation issues that can result in improper handling of malformed data. The attack vector operates through network-level communication where the attacker leverages the DDS discovery and data sharing protocols to inject malicious payloads that trigger buffer overflows, memory leaks, or excessive resource consumption. The underlying protocol stack fails to implement adequate rate limiting or packet validation mechanisms that would normally prevent such flooding attacks from overwhelming system resources. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where DDS is deployed in high-security environments or critical infrastructure applications where continuous availability is paramount. The exposure of information occurs as a secondary effect when the system's attempt to process malformed packets leads to memory dumps or state information leakage that could reveal internal system configurations or operational parameters.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-38487 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential data integrity compromises and operational reliability issues within distributed systems. Organizations utilizing RTI Connext DDS in industrial control systems, aerospace applications, or defense communications may experience cascading failures when this vulnerability is exploited, as the denial-of-service condition can propagate through interconnected DDS networks. The attack requires minimal sophistication to execute, making it particularly dangerous as it can be automated and deployed at scale against vulnerable systems. Security teams face challenges in detecting these attacks due to their resemblance to legitimate network traffic patterns, and the information exposure aspect complicates forensic analysis as attackers can extract operational intelligence from system failures. The vulnerability particularly impacts systems where real-time data sharing and low-latency communication are critical, as the DoS condition can interrupt mission-critical operations in sectors such as automotive, aviation, and manufacturing.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing network-level protections such as ingress filtering, rate limiting, and traffic monitoring to detect and prevent the flooding patterns associated with this vulnerability. Organizations should apply the latest patches provided by RTI that address the specific validation flaws in the protocol handling components. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the scope of potential attacks by restricting direct network access to DDS services. The implementation of intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor DDS protocol behavior can provide early warning of exploitation attempts. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing redundant communication paths and failover mechanisms to maintain operational continuity during potential attacks. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of following security guidelines such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards for managing information security risks in distributed systems. Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments targeting DDS implementations and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle DoS conditions in real-time communication environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004 for endpoint denial of service and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage, highlighting the multi-layered approach required for effective defense against such threats.