Unitree Go2 firmware versions V1.1.7 through V1.1.9 and V1.1.11 (EDU) expose a DDS topic without authentication, a weakness classified as CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality). This lack of authentication allows an unauthenticated attacker on the same local network to publish a crafted message containing arbitrary Python code. The robot writes this code to disk under /unitree/etc/programming/ and binds it to a physical controller keybinding. When the key is pressed, the code executes as root and persists across reboots, granting the attacker persistent, full system control.

UnitreeRobotics' Unitree Go2 robots running firmware versions V1.1.7, V1.1.8, V1.1.9, and the EDU variant V1.1.11 are affected. No other firmware versions are explicitly listed as affected.

The CVSS score of 8.5 indicates high severity, while the EPSS score of less than 1% suggests a low likelihood of exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability is not included in the CISA KEV catalog. The attack vector is network adjacent and requires no authentication; an attacker can simply join DDS domain 0 on the local network and publish the malicious payload. Persistence of the malicious keybinding across reboots, combined with execution as root, presents a severe threat if the device is exposed.