HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2017-04-05

CVE-2017-6956

broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware Security Advisory (CVE-2017-6956)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-6956 impacting broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
On the Broadcom Wi-Fi HardMAC SoC with fbt firmware, a stack buffer overflow occurs when handling an 802.11r (FT) authentication response, leading to remote code execution via a crafted access point that sends a long R0KH-ID field in a Fast BSS Transition Information Element (FT-IE).

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Adjacent (AV:A)
Requires shared subnet / local network access
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product broadcom / hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware
Affected Versions 6.37.34.40
Weakness Enumeration CWE-119

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2017-6956 impacting broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-6956.yaml
id: cve-2017-6956

info:
  name: broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-6956 affecting broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware.
    Evaluation: On the Broadcom Wi-Fi HardMAC SoC with fbt firmware, a stack buffer overflow occurs when handling an 802.11r (FT) authentication response, leading to ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-6956
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2017-6956
    cwe-id: CWE-119
  tags: cve,cve-2017-6956,broadcom,hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmwar,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-6956.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-6956
# Target: broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-6956 (broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware scope (6.37.34.40).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2017-6956.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-6956
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmwar 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmwar 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmwar

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmwar 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmwar

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-6956 in broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update broadcom hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2017-6956?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2017-6956?

CVE-2017-6956 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-6956
Weakness CWE-119
Vendor broadcom
Product hardmac_wi-fi_soc_firmware
Published 2017-04-05
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H