CVE-2022-28068 in radare2
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2023
A heap buffer overflow in r_sleb128 function in radare2 5.4.2 and 5.4.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2026
The heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the r_sleb128 function within radare2 versions 5.4.2 and 5.4.0 represents a critical security flaw that can be exploited to compromise the integrity of the binary analysis tool. This vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues and specifically manifests as a heap-based buffer overflow, which occurs when more data is written to a heap-allocated buffer than it can safely hold. The r_sleb128 function is responsible for parsing signed little-endian base 128 encoded values, a common encoding format used in various binary formats including elf and mach-o files. When processing malformed or maliciously crafted input data, the function fails to properly validate the buffer boundaries, leading to potential memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the r_sleb128 parsing routine. SLEB128 encoding is designed to represent signed integers using a variable-length encoding where each byte contains 7 bits of data and a continuation bit in the most significant bit. When the parsing logic encounters a malformed sequence or an unexpectedly large encoded value, it fails to account for the maximum possible buffer requirements, causing the heap allocation to be insufficient for the actual data being processed. This flaw aligns with CWE-122, which specifically addresses heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient space is allocated for data, and can be categorized under the broader ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through command and script injection mechanisms that may be triggered by the memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it can be leveraged in multiple attack scenarios. An attacker who can manipulate input files processed by radare2 could potentially cause the application to crash or, more dangerously, execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the tool. This is particularly concerning in security research and reverse engineering environments where analysts frequently process untrusted binary samples. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malformed binary files, corrupted debug information, or specially crafted input to the disassembly engine. The heap corruption could lead to information disclosure, privilege escalation, or denial of service conditions that would severely impact the reliability and security of the analysis environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate patching and defensive programming practices. The primary solution involves updating to a patched version of radare2 where the bounds checking has been properly implemented to handle edge cases in SLEB128 parsing. Until such updates are deployed, users should exercise extreme caution when processing untrusted binary files and consider implementing input validation layers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and defensive programming techniques, particularly when dealing with variable-length encoding schemes. Security practitioners should also consider implementing application sandboxing and privilege separation to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Additional monitoring and logging of memory allocation patterns within the binary analysis tool can help detect anomalous behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for comprehensive testing of parsing routines and the importance of adhering to security best practices in security tools that process potentially malicious input data.