Potential vulnerability: topic names from ROS parameters

Hi,

We notice that you are using topic names from ROS parameters at the following locations: https://github.com/fictionlab/pincher_arm/blob/8c1f6fbdd7b9995ad57ba652f95ce8ad97d7b382/pincher_arm_bringup/scripts/gripper_controller#L49 https://github.com/fictionlab/pincher_arm/blob/8c1f6fbdd7b9995ad57ba652f95ce8ad97d7b382/pincher_arm_bringup/scripts/gripper_transmission#L112 https://github.com/fictionlab/pincher_arm/blob/8c1f6fbdd7b9995ad57ba652f95ce8ad97d7b382/pincher_arm_bringup/scripts/gripper_transmission#L117 For security reasons detailed below, we strongly suggest avoiding the usage of strings from parameters as topic names.

Although parameters are usually set in parameter files, they can also be changed by nodes. Specifically, other nodes in the same ROS application can also change the parameters listed above before it’s used, either by accident or intentionally (i.e., by potential attackers). If any of gripper_transmission/source_joint, gripper_transmission/target_joint, or gripper_controller/joint parameters is changed, the joint commands will not be passed as designed, and the robot arm will not grip when it is commanded to. Moreover, if an attacker exists, she can take full control of the robot arm gripper by manipulating the parameters. One way to do this is to first change gripper_transmission/source_joint parameter from gripper_joint to gripper_joint_fake before it’s used by the gripper_transmission node, which fools the gripper_transmission node to publish to gripper_joint_fake/command; then she can forward all messages from gripper_joint_fake/command to gripper_joint/command after changing the contents. She can also simply publish anything as she wants to gripper_joint/command. Because ROS is an OSS (open-source software) community, third-party nodes are widely used in ROS applications, usually without complete vetting of their behavior, which gives the opportunity to potentially malicious actors to inject malicious code (e.g, by submitting hypocrite commits like in other OSS systems [1]) to infiltrate the ROS applications that use it (or software supply chain attacks, one of the primary means for real-world attackers today [2]).

We understand that using parameters to set topic names brings flexibility. Still, for the purpose of security, we strongly suggest that you avoid such vulnerable programming patterns if possible. For example, to avoid the exposure of this specific vulnerability, you may consider alternatives like remapping, which is designed for configuring names when launching the nodes.

[1] Q. Wu and K. Lu, “On the feasibility of stealthily introducing vulnerabilities in open-source software via hypocrite commits,” 2021, https://linuxreviews.org/images/d/d9/OpenSourceInsecurity.pdf. [2] Supply chain attacks are the hacker’s new favourite weapon. and the threat is getting bigger. https://www.zdnet.com/article/supply-chain-attacks-are-the-hackers-new-favourite-weapon-and-the-threat-is-getting-bigger/.

fictionlab / pincher_arm

Potential vulnerability: topic names from ROS parameters #2