CVE-2023-43626
📋 TL;DR
This UEFI firmware vulnerability in certain Intel processors allows a privileged user with local access to potentially escalate privileges by bypassing access controls. It affects systems running vulnerable Intel processor firmware. The risk is primarily to organizations using affected Intel-based hardware.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel processors with vulnerable UEFI firmware
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with local privileged access could gain persistent firmware-level control, potentially bypassing OS-level security controls and maintaining persistence across reboots.
Likely Case
A malicious insider or compromised administrator account could escalate privileges to firmware level, enabling persistent backdoor installation or bypassing security controls.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, the attack surface is limited to already-privileged users, reducing the likelihood of successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local privileged access and detailed knowledge of UEFI firmware internals
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Firmware updates provided by system manufacturers/OEMs
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01071.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check system manufacturer's website for BIOS/UEFI firmware updates. 2. Download appropriate firmware update. 3. Follow manufacturer's instructions to apply firmware update. 4. Reboot system to complete installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict physical and privileged access
allLimit physical access to systems and implement strict privilege management to reduce attack surface
Enable Secure Boot
allEnsure Secure Boot is enabled to help prevent unauthorized firmware modifications
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit who has local administrative privileges
- Monitor for suspicious firmware modification attempts and privileged user activities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check system BIOS/UEFI firmware version against manufacturer's patched versions listCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion
On Linux: dmidecode -t biosVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to patched version from manufacturer📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- BIOS/UEFI firmware modification events
- Privileged user accessing firmware settings
- Unexpected system reboots with firmware updates
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local access vulnerability
SIEM Query:
EventID=12 OR EventID=13 (Windows System events for firmware changes) OR privileged user accessing firmware management interfaces