CVE-2022-38767 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Wind River VxWorks versions 6.9 and 7. VxWorks is a widely used real-time operating system (RTOS) deployed in embedded systems across various industries, including telecommunications, aerospace, industrial control, and critical infrastructure. The vulnerability arises from the handling of RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) packets during the IP Radius access procedure. Specifically, a maliciously crafted RADIUS packet sent by a RADIUS server can trigger a denial of service (DoS) condition, causing the affected device or system to become unresponsive or crash. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects a high severity level, with the vector indicating that the attack can be executed remotely over the network (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and affects availability only (A:H) without impacting confidentiality or integrity. The vulnerability does not require authentication, making it accessible to unauthenticated attackers who can send specially crafted packets to vulnerable devices. Although no known exploits in the wild have been reported, the potential for disruption in critical embedded systems is significant due to the nature of VxWorks deployments. The lack of vendor or product-specific information and absence of published patches at the time of disclosure suggest that affected organizations need to proactively assess their exposure and implement mitigations to prevent exploitation. Given that RADIUS is commonly used for network access authentication, the vulnerability could be triggered in environments where VxWorks devices communicate with RADIUS servers, potentially impacting network infrastructure components such as routers, switches, or access servers running the vulnerable RTOS.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-38767 can be substantial, particularly in sectors relying on embedded systems running VxWorks for critical operations. Telecommunications providers, industrial automation companies, transportation systems, and energy utilities may use VxWorks-based devices that authenticate via RADIUS servers. A successful exploitation could lead to denial of service, disrupting network access controls or operational technology environments, resulting in downtime, loss of productivity, and potential safety risks. The availability impact could cascade, affecting dependent systems and services, especially in tightly integrated industrial or infrastructure environments. Given the remote and unauthenticated nature of the exploit, attackers could launch DoS attacks from outside the network perimeter, increasing the risk to organizations with exposed or poorly segmented network segments. Although confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the operational disruption alone could have severe consequences, including regulatory compliance issues and reputational damage. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits over time. European organizations with critical infrastructure or industrial control systems using VxWorks should prioritize risk assessments and mitigation strategies to minimize potential impact.

1. Inventory and Identify: Conduct a thorough inventory of all embedded devices and systems running Wind River VxWorks versions 6.9 and 7, focusing on those interfacing with RADIUS servers. 2. Network Segmentation: Isolate vulnerable devices within dedicated network segments with strict access controls to limit exposure to untrusted networks and reduce the attack surface. 3. RADIUS Server Hardening: Implement strict validation and filtering on RADIUS servers to detect and block malformed or suspicious packets that could trigger the vulnerability. 4. Monitoring and Detection: Deploy network monitoring tools capable of detecting anomalous RADIUS traffic patterns or repeated malformed packet attempts indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Vendor Engagement: Engage with Wind River or device manufacturers for updates, patches, or workarounds addressing this vulnerability. If patches are unavailable, consider temporary mitigations such as disabling RADIUS authentication on vulnerable devices where feasible. 6. Access Control: Restrict which systems can send RADIUS packets to vulnerable devices, using firewall rules or access control lists to permit only trusted RADIUS servers. 7. Incident Response Preparedness: Develop and test incident response plans specific to denial of service scenarios affecting embedded systems, ensuring rapid recovery and continuity. 8. Firmware Updates: Plan for timely application of firmware or software updates once patches become available, prioritizing critical systems. These recommendations go beyond generic advice by focusing on network-level controls, vendor coordination, and operational preparedness specific to embedded RTOS environments and RADIUS protocol interactions.