CVE-2022-39065 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Ikea TRÅDFRI gateway system, specifically versions prior to 1.19.26. The issue arises from improper handling of unexpected data types (CWE-241) within the Zigbee communication protocol implementation. An attacker can send a single malformed IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee) frame as an unauthenticated broadcast message to any vulnerable TRÅDFRI gateway device within radio range. This malformed frame causes the gateway to become unresponsive, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition where connected lighting devices cannot be controlled via the IKEA Home Smart app or TRÅDFRI remote control. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but causes a complete loss of availability of the lighting control function. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting the attack vector as adjacent network (wireless), no privileges required, no user interaction needed, and unchanged scope. The vulnerability is exploitable without authentication and requires only proximity to the target device's Zigbee radio range. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date. The root cause is the gateway's failure to properly validate or handle unexpected data types in incoming Zigbee frames, leading to a crash or hang state. This vulnerability highlights risks inherent in IoT devices relying on wireless protocols with limited authentication and input validation. Since the TRÅDFRI gateway is a central hub for smart lighting control, its unavailability disrupts user experience and may impact environments relying on automated lighting for operational or safety reasons.

For European organizations, especially those deploying Ikea TRÅDFRI smart lighting systems in offices, retail, hospitality, or residential managed environments, this vulnerability can cause significant operational disruption. The inability to control lighting remotely or via physical remotes can affect workplace productivity, customer experience, and potentially safety if lighting fails to respond during critical times. Although the attack requires proximity, the ubiquity of Zigbee-enabled devices and the common use of TRÅDFRI products in Europe increase the risk surface. The denial of service could be exploited by malicious actors in public or semi-public spaces to cause nuisance or targeted disruption. While no data confidentiality or integrity is compromised, the loss of availability of lighting control can have cascading effects on building automation systems integrated with TRÅDFRI gateways. Additionally, the unauthenticated nature of the attack vector means that no credentials or prior access are needed, increasing the threat potential in densely populated or accessible areas.

Organizations should immediately verify the firmware version of all Ikea TRÅDFRI gateway devices and upgrade to version 1.19.26 or later where the vulnerability is patched. If upgrading is not immediately possible, physical security controls should be enhanced to restrict unauthorized proximity to the Zigbee radio range of the gateways, such as placing devices in secured enclosures or limiting access to areas where the gateways are installed. Network segmentation and monitoring of Zigbee traffic can help detect anomalous malformed frames, although this may require specialized Zigbee protocol analysis tools. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying alternative or supplementary lighting control systems that do not rely solely on vulnerable TRÅDFRI gateways. Regularly reviewing IoT device inventories and applying vendor security advisories promptly will reduce exposure. Finally, educating facility management and security teams about the risks of wireless protocol vulnerabilities and the importance of firmware updates is crucial.