PowerSwitch Z9664F-ON BIOS: Improper Initialization
CVE-2023-32467 is a high-severity improper initialization vulnerability in PowerSwitch Z9664F-ON BIOS from Dell, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. The record lists version v1.05.10 as the first without the flaw, so updating PowerSwitch Z9664F-ON BIOS to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.17% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update PowerSwitch Z9664F-ON BIOS to v1.05.10 or a later version.
- Update Edge Gateway 5200 Firmware to 1.05.10 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on dell.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dell | PowerSwitch Z9664F-ON BIOS | before v1.05.10 | v1.05.10 |
| Dell | Edge Gateway 5000 Firmware | 0.1.19.0 | Not stated |
| Dell | Edge Gateway 5100 Firmware | 0.1.19.0 | Not stated |
| Dell | Edge Gateway 5200 Firmware | before 1.05.10 | 1.05.10 |
| Dell | Edge Gateway 3200 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Dell | Xps 13 9350 Firmware | 0.1.13.0 | Not stated |
| Dell | Chengming 3977 Firmware | 0.1.13.0 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 5.7 | Medium | CNA (emc.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.2 | High | NVD |
Official description
Dell Edge Gateway BIOS, versions 3200 and 5200, contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. A local authenticated malicious user with high privileges could potentially exploit this vulnerability leading to exposure of some UEFI code, leading to arbitrary code execution or escalation of privilege.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Initialization
The product does not initialize or incorrectly initializes a resource.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, in Java, if the programmer does not explicitly initialize a variable, then the code could produce a compile-time error (if the variable is local) or automatically initialize the variable to the default value for the variable's type. In Perl, if explicit initialization is not performed, then a default value of undef is assigned, which is interpreted as 0, false, or an equivalent value depending on the context in which the variable is accessed.
- Identify all variables and data stores that receive information from external sources, and apply input validation to make sure that they are only initialized to expected values.
- Explicitly initialize all your variables and other data stores, either during declaration or just before the first usage.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in PowerSwitch Z9664F-ON BIOS
- 8.2 High severity
Recent Improper Initialization vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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