CVE-2022-34642 in RISCV ISA Sim
Summary
by MITRE • 07/19/2022
The component mcontrol.action in RISCV ISA Sim commit ac466a21df442c59962589ba296c702631e041b5 contains the incorrect mask which can cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-34642 resides within the mcontrol.action component of the RISCV ISA Sim repository, specifically in commit ac466a21df442c59962589ba296c702631e041b5. This flaw represents a critical issue in the simulation environment that governs the RISC-V instruction set architecture implementation. The component in question is responsible for managing memory control operations and their associated action handling mechanisms that are fundamental to the proper functioning of the simulator. The incorrect mask implementation within this specific component creates a scenario where the simulator fails to properly process memory access control actions, leading to system instability and operational disruption.
The technical flaw manifests through an improper mask value that is applied during the processing of memory control actions within the RISC-V simulator. This incorrect mask causes the system to misinterpret memory access permissions and control signals, resulting in a failure state that prevents normal operation. The vulnerability specifically affects the mcontrol.action module which is integral to the debug and memory management capabilities of the RISC-V architecture simulation environment. When the simulator encounters memory control operations that should be processed through this component, the malformed mask causes the system to enter an undefined state where further execution becomes impossible, effectively creating a denial of service condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system unresponsiveness to encompass complete simulator failure and potential data loss during debugging sessions. Security researchers and developers who rely on the RISC-V ISA Sim for verification and testing purposes face significant disruption when this vulnerability is exploited. The denial of service condition can occur during normal simulation activities, particularly when debugging applications that utilize memory control features or when the simulator is processing complex memory access patterns. This vulnerability particularly affects embedded systems development workflows where RISC-V simulators are extensively used for early-stage software development and hardware-software co-verification processes, potentially delaying project timelines and compromising development cycles.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper handling of input validation and mask operations in simulation environments, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 related to network denial of service attacks. Organizations utilizing this specific version of RISC-V ISA Sim should implement immediate mitigation strategies including patching to the corrected commit, implementing additional input validation checks, and establishing monitoring protocols for abnormal simulator behavior. The recommended approach involves verifying the integrity of the mcontrol.action component against known good implementations and ensuring that all mask values are properly validated before execution. Security teams should also consider implementing automated testing routines that specifically target memory control operations to detect similar issues in other simulation components and prevent future exploitation of analogous vulnerabilities in the broader RISC-V ecosystem.