External risk intelligence

MOOS-IvP Buffer Overflow in String Decoders

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.3)

CVE-2026-85437

MOOS-IvP is an autonomy software framework used for marine robotics and underwater vehicles. It is designed for specialized, closed research or operational robotic environments, not for general internet-facing services, web applications, or gateways, making public internet exposure of these components highly unlikely in typical deployments.

Out-of-bounds Write

Halo Surface Signal: 1 out of 5 — much less likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

MOOS-IvP, a software framework for marine robotics, contains vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution if an attacker crafts specific malicious strings. The main concern is confirming if this specialized technology is relevant to our operations.

Vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution.
Specialized technology, relevance needs confirmation.
Understand potential impact on marine systems.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could exploit vulnerabilities in MOOS-IvP by crafting malicious encoded strings. These strings, when processed by the IvP function string decoders, can cause buffer overflows by having declared lengths that do not match the actual lengths of the data. This could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code by overwriting memory, potentially through MOOS variables or log files.

No specific access required for attacker.
Maliciously crafted encoded strings.
Potential for remote code execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on systems running MOOS-IvP when processing specially crafted encoded strings. This could occur through manipulated MOOS variables or log files, potentially impacting the integrity and availability of the affected systems.

System code execution.
Crafted strings via MOOS variables.
Compromised autonomy system behavior.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

Given the specialized nature of MOOS-IvP in marine robotics, the primary responsibility for addressing this vulnerability likely rests with the specific research or operational teams managing these systems, alongside any vendor management if the software is procured. The immediate first step should be to inventory all MOOS-IvP deployments, assess their network exposure and criticality to operations, identify the accountable system owner, and then prioritize remediation efforts based on risk.

Identify owning team and system scope.
Verify system reachability and operational impact.
Plan coordinated vendor engagement and patching.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is MOOS-IvP?

MOOS-IvP is an open-source software framework used primarily for autonomous marine robotics and underwater vehicles. It provides the core architecture for mission planning, navigation, and vehicle control. Researchers and engineers use these tools to coordinate complex behaviors in robotic systems, often deployed in specialized, closed research or operational environments rather than general-purpose computing.

What does CVE-2026-85437 mean by buffer overflow?

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787, or Out-of-bounds Write. It occurs because the software's string decoders trust length information provided by an incoming data packet without verifying it against the actual data size. If an attacker sends a string claiming to be a certain size but provides more data, the system attempts to write that excess data into memory beyond its intended buffer, which can corrupt system memory and potentially allow the attacker to run arbitrary commands.

How can an attacker trigger this buffer overflow?

An attacker can trigger this by delivering a maliciously crafted string to the system, such as through compromised MOOS variables or manipulated alog files. The vulnerability specifically lies in the IvP function string decoders. It is important to note that sending standard, correctly formatted system data does not trigger this issue; the flaw requires the specific input of mismatched length fields to cause the overflow.

Is my system at risk according to Halo Surface Signal?

Halo Surface Signal indicates that exploitation is very unlikely for most organizations. Because MOOS-IvP is designed for specialized marine robotics, it is not typically found in internet-facing web applications or standard network gateways. If your deployments are isolated within closed research or operational robotic environments, they lack the direct exposure to the public internet that attackers typically require for remote exploitation.

What are the first steps to address this MOOS-IvP issue?

Start by conducting an inventory to locate every instance of MOOS-IvP within your environment. Once identified, consult with the specific research or operational teams responsible for those robotic systems to determine their network connectivity. Verify whether these systems are reachable from untrusted networks and assess their criticality to your operations. Use this information to prioritize which systems require updates or further access restrictions.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.