CVE-2022-2993 in Zephyr
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2022
There is an error in the condition of the last if-statement in the function smp_check_keys. It was rejecting current keys if all requirements were unmet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2993 resides within the smp_check_keys function where a logical error exists in the final if-statement condition. This flaw represents a classic case of improper conditional logic that fundamentally alters the intended security behavior of the system. The function appears to be part of a cryptographic or authentication module responsible for validating key requirements, where the improper condition causes the system to reject valid keys when all specified requirements are not simultaneously satisfied. This error creates a security bypass scenario where legitimate keys that meet some but not all requirements are incorrectly deemed invalid, potentially leading to denial of service or unauthorized access depending on the broader system context. The vulnerability manifests as a logic flaw that violates the expected security posture and could be exploited to undermine the integrity of key validation processes. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a failure in proper access control validation where the system does not correctly evaluate the intersection of multiple key requirements. The improper conditional logic creates a scenario where the system's security decisions are based on flawed boolean operations, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the validation process by understanding the specific conditions under which keys are rejected.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding principles and can be classified under CWE-483 as improper control flow. The flaw specifically impacts the function's ability to properly evaluate key requirements, causing it to execute the rejection logic when it should accept keys meeting partial requirements. This type of error commonly occurs in complex validation functions where multiple conditional checks are combined without proper logical operators or parentheses to ensure correct evaluation order. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service as it fundamentally undermines the trust model of the cryptographic system. When all requirements are unmet, the function incorrectly rejects keys that might otherwise be valid, creating a scenario where legitimate authentication attempts fail due to flawed logic rather than actual security violations. This misconfiguration could enable attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms by understanding the specific conditions that trigger the erroneous rejection behavior, potentially leading to privilege escalation or unauthorized system access. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for unsecured credentials and T1078.004 for valid accounts, as it affects the authentication and authorization processes that rely on proper key validation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-2993 extends across multiple security domains including authentication, authorization, and access control. Systems utilizing the affected function may experience unexpected authentication failures, creating operational disruptions and potential security gaps where legitimate users cannot access authorized resources. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in a denial of service condition where legitimate users are unable to authenticate, while simultaneously creating opportunities for attackers to identify and exploit the flawed validation logic. Organizations may observe increased authentication failures, support tickets, and potential security incidents as users encounter the improper rejection of valid keys. The vulnerability's remediation requires careful analysis of the conditional logic and proper implementation of the intended validation behavior, which may involve significant code changes to ensure all requirements are properly evaluated. Security teams must conduct thorough testing to verify that the corrected implementation maintains proper security boundaries while allowing legitimate authentication attempts to succeed. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper code review processes and automated testing for security-critical functions, as this type of logical error can easily be missed during initial development and testing phases. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring to detect unusual authentication patterns that might indicate the exploitation of this vulnerability and ensure that all key validation processes are properly validated through security testing and penetration testing activities.