CVE-2023-28538

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-28538?

CVE-2023-28538 has a CVSS score of 8.4 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows memory corruption in Qualcomm WIN Product's UEFI region when invoking the WinAcpi update driver. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. Affected systems include devices with specific Qualcomm chipsets.

8.4 HIGH

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows memory corruption in Qualcomm WIN Product's UEFI region when invoking the WinAcpi update driver. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. Affected systems include devices with specific Qualcomm chipsets.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm WIN Product with WinAcpi driver

Versions: Specific versions not publicly detailed; refer to Qualcomm advisory for chipset-specific details

Operating Systems: Windows on affected Qualcomm platforms

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires UEFI firmware with vulnerable WinAcpi driver implementation; affects specific Qualcomm chipset configurations

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise with persistent malware installation at firmware level, allowing attackers to bypass OS security controls and maintain persistence across reboots.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, crashes, or denial of service; potential for privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper firmware validation and secure boot enabled; system may still experience crashes but less likely to be fully compromised.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH

Exploitation requires local access or ability to trigger WinAcpi driver calls; UEFI-level vulnerabilities typically require sophisticated exploitation

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm chipset-specific firmware updates

Vendor Advisory: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/september-2023-bulletin

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check Qualcomm advisory for affected chipset list. 2. Contact device manufacturer for firmware updates. 3. Apply UEFI firmware update following manufacturer instructions. 4. Verify secure boot remains enabled after update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Enable Secure Boot

windows

Ensure UEFI Secure Boot is enabled to prevent unauthorized firmware modifications

Restrict Physical Access

all

Limit physical access to devices to prevent local exploitation

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate affected systems from untrusted networks
Implement strict access controls and monitoring for suspicious firmware activity

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check UEFI firmware version against Qualcomm advisory; examine system logs for WinAcpi driver errors

Check Version:

wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion (Windows) or dmidecode -t bios (Linux)

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify UEFI firmware version has been updated to patched version; confirm secure boot is active

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

UEFI firmware update logs
WinAcpi driver error messages
System crashes with memory corruption errors

Network Indicators:

Unusual firmware update network traffic

SIEM Query:

EventID=6008 OR EventID=41 (Windows crash events) combined with firmware-related process names

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-28538

CVSS v3 Score: 8.4 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-121

Published: September 5, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/september-2023-bulletin Vendor Advisory
https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/september-2023-bulletin Vendor Advisory

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

Aqt1000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csra6620 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csra6640 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6200 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6900 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 7800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Flight Rb5 5g Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Fsm10056 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6174a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6310 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6335 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6391 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6420 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6421 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6426 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6430 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6431 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6436 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6696 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm2290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4325 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm6125 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn7606 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9011 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9012 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs2290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs410 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs4290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs610 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs6125 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs8155 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qrb5165m Firmware by Qualcomm

Qrb5165n Firmware by Qualcomm

Qsm8250 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qualcomm Robotics Rb3 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Qualcomm Robotics Rb5 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa4150p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa4155p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6145p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6150p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6155 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6155p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8145p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8150p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8155 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8155p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8195p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sc8180x\+sdx55 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd 675 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd 8 Gen1 5g Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd 8cx Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd 8cx Gen2 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd460 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd480 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd662 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd665 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd670 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd675 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd678 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd680 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd690 5g Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd695 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd710 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd712 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd720g Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd730 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd750g Firmware by Qualcomm