CVE-2024-38805
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-38805 is an integer overflow vulnerability in EDK2 BIOS/UEFI firmware that can be triggered via network packets. Successful exploitation could cause denial of service by crashing or hanging affected systems. This affects systems using vulnerable EDK2 firmware implementations.
💻 Affected Systems
- EDK2 (UEFI Development Kit)
⚠️ 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
System becomes completely unresponsive requiring physical power cycle, potentially causing extended downtime for servers or critical infrastructure.
Likely Case
Temporary system instability or crash requiring reboot, disrupting operations until system restarts.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and monitoring detecting anomalous network traffic.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted network packets to trigger the integer overflow. No authentication needed but requires network access to vulnerable interface.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: EDK2 with commit addressing CVE-2024-38805
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/tianocore/edk2/security/advisories/GHSA-p7wp-52j7-6r5x
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update EDK2 firmware to patched version from hardware vendor. 2. Apply firmware updates through vendor-specific update tools. 3. Reboot system to load new firmware.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable network boot/PXE
allDisable network boot capabilities in BIOS/UEFI settings to remove attack vector
Network segmentation
allIsolate systems with vulnerable firmware from untrusted networks
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit exposure to trusted sources only
- Monitor for anomalous network traffic patterns and system crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check firmware version against vendor advisories. Use 'dmidecode' or vendor-specific tools to identify firmware version.Check Version:
dmidecode -s bios-version (Linux) or systeminfo (Windows) or vendor-specific firmware toolsVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to patched version. Check vendor documentation for specific version numbers.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- System crash logs
- Unexpected reboots
- Firmware error messages
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network packets to firmware/management interfaces
- Malformed PXE/DHCP packets
SIEM Query:
source="system_logs" AND ("crash" OR "reboot" OR "firmware_error") AND dest_port IN (67,68,69)