Security Risk Assessment of Humanoid Robotics: DARWIN-OP2 as Case Study

This paper presents a security risk assessment of a humanoid robot, DARWIN-OP2, controlled through the Robot Operating System (ROS). The assessment utilizes the Cyber Kill Chain framework and focuses on an identified vulnerability: CVE-2011-2523. To exploit this vulnerability, several attack scenarios were studied and analyzed, with the Unauthorized Access Attack type ultimately selected. The aim of these attacks was to gain unauthorized access to the robot’s control system. By exploiting vulnerabilities in the robot’s system, an attacker could potentially obtain sensitive information or establish persistent control over the robot. A qualitative assessment of this scenario revealed that it could successfully compromise the robot, impacting its availability and integrity. This was demonstrated by successfully establishing a reverse shell on the robot. These findings highlight the importance of implementing robust security measures for humanoid robots to mitigate potential risks and ensure their safe and reliable operation.