CVE-2023-45231VulnerabilityPublished 16 Jan 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-45231: TianoCore edk2 · Out-of-bounds Read

Affects TianoCore edk2Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 57% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Adjacent
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Adjacent: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack, but the attack is limited at the protocol level to a logically adjacent topology. This can mean an attack must be launched from the same shared physical (e.g., Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11) or logical (e.g., local IP subnet) network, or from within a secure or otherwise limited administrative domain (e.g., MPLS, secure VPN to an administrative network zone).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Jan 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

1. Monitor vendor communications closely for firmware updates or patches addressing CVE-2023-45231 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Implement network-level filtering to block or restrict IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Redirect messages from untrusted or external sources, using firewalls or intrusion prevention systems. 3. Employ network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable devices to potentially hostile IPv6 traffic. 4. Conduct firmware inventory audits to identify devices running the affected edk2-stable202308 version and prioritize them for remediation. 5. Use network monitoring tools to detect anomalous Neighbor Discovery traffic patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. Collaborate with hardware vendors and system integrators to verify firmware versions and request security updates. 7. Where possible, disable or restrict IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Redirect message processing on devices that do not require it. 8. Incorporate firmware security checks into regular vulnerability management and incident response plans. These targeted steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific protocol and firmware component involved, emphasizing network controls and vendor coordination.

Description

EDK2's Network Package is susceptible to an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when processing Neighbor Discovery Redirect message. This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access and potentially lead to a loss of Confidentiality.

Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-45231 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information due to out-of-bounds memory reads in UEFI firmware during network message processing. This can compromise confidentiality of firmware-resident secrets or system memory contents accessible via the vulnerable code path. Organizations using devices with the affected edk2 firmware version—common in servers, workstations, and embedded systems—may be exposed to remote reconnaissance or data leakage attacks over IPv6 networks. Critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, finance, and government that rely on secure boot and firmware integrity could face increased risk if attackers leverage this vulnerability to gain footholds or gather intelligence. Although no integrity or availability impact is indicated, confidentiality breaches at the firmware level can facilitate further attacks or bypass security controls. The vulnerability's network attack vector and lack of required privileges increase its risk profile in enterprise and industrial environments with IPv6 enabled. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate future risk, especially as exploit development could follow disclosure. Thus, European organizations must assess their exposure based on device inventory and network configurations and implement mitigations promptly.

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #8
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Overread Buffers (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 11 Nov 2025, 01:25 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-125

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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