CVE-2026-85447 in MOOS-IvP
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2026
MOOS-IvP pRealm through version 24.8.1 accepts unbounded REALMCAST_REQ subscriptions without validating duration or variable list limits. Attackers can register long-lived pipeways with many variables to cause pRealm to generate excessive output indefinitely, exhausting system resources.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2026
The vulnerability in MOOS-IvP pRealm through version 24.8.1 stems from a failure to enforce resource constraints on subscription requests for REALMCAST_REQ messages. This component serves as the central communication hub within the MOOS (Mission Oriented Operating Suite) framework, managing data distribution among autonomous vehicle systems and other connected nodes. The core technical flaw lies in the acceptance of unbounded subscriptions without validating critical parameters such as message duration or variable list limits. When an attacker registers a pipeway with these unrestricted settings, they can instruct pRealm to forward every update for a vast number of variables indefinitely. This lack of input validation allows malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model by injecting subscription requests that bypass standard rate limiting and scope restrictions inherent in secure software design practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe resource exhaustion leading to denial of service conditions. By generating excessive output through long-lived pipeways with many variables, an attacker can consume significant CPU cycles, memory bandwidth, and network throughput on the host system running pRealm. In autonomous marine or aerial vehicle contexts where MOOS-IvP is commonly deployed, such resource depletion can cause critical control loops to stall or fail. This degradation in performance may result in loss of situational awareness for operators, failure of navigation algorithms, or complete unresponsiveness of the unmanned platform. The indefinite nature of the excessive output ensures that system stability cannot be recovered without manual intervention or restart, effectively rendering the affected hardware useless during an active attack scenario.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write in terms of resource consumption mechanics and more accurately with CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption. The failure to validate input limits before processing constitutes a classic case of insufficient control over system resources based on external data inputs. In the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this behavior corresponds to T1496: Resource Hijacking, where an adversary utilizes compromised or misconfigured systems to consume computational resources for disruptive purposes rather than traditional cryptomining objectives. The attack vector typically involves network-based interaction with the pRealm service, suggesting that if exposed to untrusted networks, it presents a significant remote exploitation risk.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict input validation and resource governance within the communication layer of MOOS-IvP applications. Developers must enforce maximum limits on the number of variables per subscription request and impose time-to-live constraints on pipeway registrations to prevent indefinite data forwarding. Additionally, integrating rate limiting mechanisms can help mitigate the volume of output generated by any single subscriber. For existing deployments, applying version 24.8.1 or later patches that address these validation gaps is essential. Network-level controls such as firewalls restricting access to pRealm ports from untrusted sources provide an additional layer of defense against unauthorized subscription requests until software updates can be applied.