Overview
This report discusses the vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-33112, a significant security flaw affecting WLAN firmware. This vulnerability is triggered when the firmware receives a “reassoc response” frame that includes a RIC_DATA element, leading to a transient Denial of Service (DOS). Cybersecurity professionals, WLAN firmware manufacturers, and organizations that rely on wireless networks should be aware of this vulnerability due to the potential system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-33112
Severity: High (CVSS 7.5)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
WLAN Firmware | All prior versions to patch
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by an attacker sending a “reassoc response” frame including a maliciously crafted RIC_DATA element to the target WLAN firmware. When the firmware attempts to process this frame, it leads to a transient DOS condition, causing system instability or temporary unavailability. This condition might allow a skilled attacker to compromise the system or leak sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
While the specific details of exploiting this vulnerability are not public, a conceptual example might look something like this:
# Send a maliciously crafted "reassoc response" frame to the target
echo -e "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00" | nc -u target.example.com 12345This command uses echo to send a binary string (representing a malformed “reassoc response” frame) to the target system over UDP (port 12345). Note that this is a conceptual example and the real-world exploit would likely require a more sophisticated approach.
