Unsafe use of eval() method in roslaunch tool

The impact of this vulnerability is significant. An attacker who can control the parameter values passed to roslaunch can inject and execute arbitrary Python code with the privileges of the roslaunch process. This could lead to complete system compromise, including data exfiltration, denial of service, and the execution of malicious commands. The ability to execute code within the ROS environment opens the door to targeting robotic systems and the data they process, potentially impacting industrial automation, research, and other applications reliant on ROS.

Robotics researchers and developers using ROS Noetic Ninjemys or earlier are at immediate risk. Industrial automation facilities relying on ROS-based systems are also vulnerable. Specifically, deployments that expose ROS launch parameters through web interfaces or other external sources are at heightened risk.

• python / roslaunch:

import os
import subprocess

def check_roslaunch_params(launch_file):
    try:
        process = subprocess.run(['roslaunch', '--help'], capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
        print(process.stdout)
    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
        print(f"Error executing roslaunch: {e}")

• linux / server:

journalctl -u roslaunch -g "eval" | grep -i "error"

• generic web: Inspect ROS launch files for instances of eval() and user-supplied parameters. Look for suspicious parameter names or values that could be exploited.

1. 2025-07-17Disclosure

   disclosure

1. आरक्षित2024-08-08
2. प्रकाशित2025-07-17
3. संशोधित2025-07-18
4. EPSS अद्यतन2026-04-02

The primary mitigation is to upgrade to a ROS distribution that addresses this vulnerability. Unfortunately, a specific fixed version is not yet available. As a workaround, implement strict input validation on all parameters passed to roslaunch. Sanitize user-supplied data to prevent the injection of malicious code. Consider disabling the substitution args mechanism if it is not essential for your ROS applications. Regularly review and audit your ROS launch files for potential vulnerabilities. After implementing these mitigations, verify the integrity of your ROS environment by attempting to launch nodes with carefully crafted, but benign, parameter values to ensure they are properly sanitized.