CVE-2023-45232
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-45232 is an infinite loop vulnerability in EDK2's Network Package when parsing unknown IPv6 Destination Options headers. This allows attackers to cause denial of service by sending specially crafted IPv6 packets, potentially freezing affected systems. Systems using EDK2 firmware with IPv6 networking enabled are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- EDK2 (UEFI Development Kit)
- Systems using EDK2-based firmware
- Various UEFI implementations
📦 What is this software?
Edk2 by Tianocore
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system freeze requiring physical power cycle, potentially disrupting critical infrastructure or servers.
Likely Case
Network service disruption on affected systems, requiring reboot to restore functionality.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and IPv6 filtering in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof-of-concept code is publicly available as part of PixieFail disclosures. Exploitation requires network access to target.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: EDK2 commit 6a6d5c5 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/tianocore/edk2/security/advisories/GHSA-hc6x-cw6p-gj7h
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update EDK2 firmware to version containing commit 6a6d5c5 or later. 2. Apply firmware updates from hardware vendors. 3. Reboot system to activate new firmware.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable IPv6 Networking
linuxCompletely disable IPv6 to prevent exploitation
sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6=1
sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.default.disable_ipv6=1
Filter IPv6 Destination Options
linuxBlock IPv6 packets with Destination Options header using firewall rules
ip6tables -A INPUT -m ipv6header --header dst --soft -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate vulnerable systems
- Deploy network intrusion prevention systems to detect and block malicious IPv6 packets
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check EDK2 version or firmware date. Systems with firmware older than October 2023 are likely vulnerable if IPv6 is enabled.Check Version:
dmidecode -t bios | grep Version (Linux) or systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"BIOS Version" (Windows)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version includes EDK2 commit 6a6d5c5 or check with vendor for specific patched firmware versions.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- System freezes or crashes
- High CPU usage in network stack
- Unexpected reboots
Network Indicators:
- Unusual IPv6 traffic with Destination Options headers
- Spike in malformed IPv6 packets
SIEM Query:
source="network_firewall" dest_ipv6=* ipv6_header_type=60🔗 References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176574/PixieFail-Proof-Of-Concepts.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/16/2
- https://github.com/tianocore/edk2/security/advisories/GHSA-hc6x-cw6p-gj7h
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/SJ42V7O7F4OU6R7QSQQECLB6LDHKZIMQ/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240307-0011/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176574/PixieFail-Proof-Of-Concepts.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/16/2
- https://github.com/tianocore/edk2/security/advisories/GHSA-hc6x-cw6p-gj7h
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/06/msg00007.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/SJ42V7O7F4OU6R7QSQQECLB6LDHKZIMQ/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240307-0011/
- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/132380
