CVE-2025-24797: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Meshtastic’s Mesh Networking Solution

Overview

CVE-2025-24797 is a high-risk cybersecurity flaw identified in an open-source mesh networking solution called Meshtastic. The vulnerability is a result of a fault in the handling of mesh packets containing invalid protobuf data, leading to an attacker-controlled buffer overflow. This flaw is particularly severe because it can allow an attacker to hijack the execution flow, potentially executing arbitrary code remotely. Any device using Meshtastic’s default channel for rebroadcasting packets is susceptible, regardless of user interaction or authentication. The major concern is that this vulnerability can potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-24797
Severity: Critical (9.4 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, Potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Meshtastic | Versions prior to 2.6.2

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of a flaw in Meshtastic’s handling of mesh packets containing invalid protobuf data. An attacker can craft a malicious packet with invalid protobuf data that triggers a buffer overflow. This overflow is attacker-controlled, meaning that it can be manipulated to hijack the execution flow of the device. With the execution flow under control, the attacker can potentially execute arbitrary code on the device. This attack doesn’t require any authentication or user interaction, making it a silent, but deadly threat.

Conceptual Example Code

Given the nature of the vulnerability, an attacker might exploit it using a maliciously crafted mesh packet. The following pseudocode illustrates a conceptual example:

# Pseudocode for CVE-2025-24797 exploit
# Create malicious protobuf data
malicious_data = create_malicious_protobuf()
# Craft a mesh packet with the malicious protobuf data
malicious_packet = create_mesh_packet(malicious_data)
# Send the malicious packet to a device on the default channel
send_packet(malicious_packet, target_device)

In this example, the `create_malicious_protobuf` function would generate invalid protobuf data designed to cause a buffer overflow, and the `create_mesh_packet` function would create a mesh packet containing this data. Finally, the `send_packet` function would send the malicious packet to the target device on the default channel. The target device, upon receiving and processing the packet, would suffer a buffer overflow, potentially allowing the attacker to hijack the execution flow and execute arbitrary code.
Users of Meshtastic are strongly advised to update to version 2.6.2 or later, which contains a patch for this vulnerability. As a temporary mitigation, users can also use Web Application Firewalls (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to detect and block malicious packets. However, these measures are not a substitute for applying the vendor’s patch.