CVE-2023-28064 in Dell
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2023
Dell BIOS contains an Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability. An unauthenticated physical attacker may potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28064 resides within Dell BIOS implementations and represents a critical out-of-bounds write flaw that can be exploited by physically present attackers without requiring authentication. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of memory corruption issues that can fundamentally compromise system integrity and operational continuity. The out-of-bounds write condition occurs when a program attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries of a buffer, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations with unintended consequences. Such flaws are particularly dangerous in firmware contexts where the attack surface includes system-level components that control hardware behavior and boot processes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows an attacker with physical access to a target system to manipulate the BIOS firmware in ways that can cause system instability or complete denial of service conditions. The exploitation mechanism typically involves crafting specific inputs or sequences that trigger the buffer overflow condition within the BIOS code execution flow. This particular vulnerability affects Dell systems that utilize affected BIOS versions, making it a widespread concern across multiple hardware platforms within Dell's product portfolio. The attack vector is classified as physical access due to the requirement for direct hardware interaction, which places this vulnerability in the category of firmware-level threats that are often overlooked in traditional network security assessments.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on Dell hardware, particularly in environments where physical security controls may be insufficient or where unauthorized access to computing systems is possible. The denial of service condition can render affected systems inoperable, potentially leading to extended downtime and productivity losses. Organizations may experience cascading effects when multiple systems within their infrastructure are affected, especially in mission-critical environments where continuous availability is paramount. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the integrity of the entire boot process and system initialization sequence.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-28064 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Dell as the primary remediation approach, ensuring that all affected systems receive the latest BIOS versions containing the necessary patches. Physical security measures must be reinforced to prevent unauthorized access to computing systems, particularly in high-risk environments where such attacks could be leveraged for more sophisticated compromise attempts. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions that can detect unusual boot patterns or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation and T1211 for exploitation for defense evasion, while also mapping to CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected Dell systems and establish remediation schedules that prioritize critical infrastructure components. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing firmware integrity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized modifications to BIOS components and alert on potential exploitation attempts.