Dire Wolf: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
CVE-2025-34457 is a high-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Dire Wolf from Wb2osz, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Dire Wolf versions: 1.8.1 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.51% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Dire Wolf you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (vulncheck.com).
Official description
wb2osz/direwolf (Dire Wolf) versions up to and including 1.8.1, prior to commit 694c954, contain a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the function kiss_rec_byte() located in src/kiss_frame.c. When processing crafted KISS frames that reach the maximum allowed frame length (MAX_KISS_LEN), the function appends a terminating FEND byte without reserving sufficient space in the stack buffer. This results in an out-of-bounds write followed by an out-of-bounds read during the subsequent call to kiss_unwrap(), leading to stack memory corruption or application crashes. This vulnerability may allow remote unauthenticated attackers to trigger a denial-of-service condition.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the stack.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Implement and perform bounds checking on input.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Dire Wolf
- 8.7 High severity
Recent Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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