Executive brief
pAntler is a MOOS communications utility that manages system processes. The vulnerability allows attackers on the network to send malicious mission files to the MOOSDB message broker without authentication, causing pAntler to execute arbitrary system commands. This enables complete system compromise on any host running the affected software.
Technical details
pAntler contains an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in its handling of MISSION_FILE messages published to MOOSDB. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of mission file contents before parsing—attackers can craft a malicious mission file containing Run entries that are executed directly via execvp() without any sanitization. The attack requires network access to the MOOSDB broker (typically UDP port 9000) but no authentication credentials. An attacker can execute arbitrary programs with the privileges of the pAntler process, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Affected products
- MOOS essential-moos through 10.0.1
Timeline
- 2026-09-03: disclosed