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Connectx FirmwareOperating system · Nvidia

CVE-2023-0204

HIGH · 7.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 35.1012 or later.
See remediation →
83/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
NVIDIA ConnectX-5, ConnectX-6, and ConnectX6-DX contain a vulnerability in the NIC firmware, where an unprivileged user can cause improper handling of exceptional conditions, which may lead to denial of service.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

NVIDIA ConnectX-5, ConnectX-6, and ConnectX6-DX network interface card firmware contains a vulnerability where an unprivileged user can trigger improper handling of exceptional conditions, leading to denial of service. The vulnerability is in the firmware layer of the NIC, not in software running on the host.

MitigationApply the NVIDIA firmware update for ConnectX series adapters when available. Until patched, monitor for anomalous NIC behavior and restrict unauthorized access to systems that can interact with the NIC firmware interfaces.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Connectx FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 35.1012

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify ConnectX NIC model
    Use NVIDIA tools such as 'mlxfwmanager' or check system hardware inventory to list installed ConnectX network adapters. Confirm the model is ConnectX-5, ConnectX-6, or ConnectX6-DX.
    Affected if The system uses a ConnectX-5, ConnectX-6, or ConnectX6-DX adapter.
  2. Retrieve NIC firmware version
    Run the NVIDIA firmware management tool (such as mlxfwmanager -q or flint -query) or access the NIC firmware management interface to query the currently installed firmware version.
    Affected if The installed firmware version cannot be retrieved or the system lacks NVIDIA firmware management tools.
  3. Compare firmware version against vulnerable range
    Compare the retrieved firmware version number to the affected range. The vulnerable range is any version less than 35.1012.
    Affected if The installed firmware version is below 35.1012 (for example, 35.x.x versions below 35.1012, or earlier firmware branches).
  4. Verify firmware update availability
    Check NVIDIA's official firmware download portal or use the firmware management tool to query available firmware updates for the identified ConnectX model.
    Affected if A firmware version 35.1012 or higher is available but not installed.

A system is affected if it contains a ConnectX-5, ConnectX-6, or ConnectX6-DX NIC running firmware version lower than 35.1012.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 35.1012 or later
Fixed in 35.1012
Interim mitigation

Apply the NVIDIA firmware update for ConnectX series adapters when available. Until patched, monitor for anomalous NIC behavior and restrict unauthorized access to systems that can interact with the NIC firmware interfaces.

Recommended fix High confidence

35.1012

  1. Identify your ConnectX adapter model (ConnectX-5, ConnectX-6, or ConnectX6-DX) and current firmware version using tools like mstflint or NVIDIAmlnxOFED utilities
  2. Download the fixed firmware version 35.1012 or later from the NVIDIA firmware download portal at nvidia.custhelp.com
  3. Review NVIDIA's firmware update documentation for your specific adapter to understand prerequisites and requirements
  4. Apply the firmware update using the appropriate NVIDIA firmware flashing tool (such as mstflint or mlxfwmanager) following standard procedures
  5. After successful firmware update, restart or reboot the host system or adapter to ensure the new firmware is properly loaded
  6. Verify the new firmware version is 35.1012 or higher using the same diagnostic tools used in step 1
Caveat Firmware upgrades carry inherent risk of rendering the device inoperable if interrupted or applied incorrectly; ensure backup and power stability before proceeding

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Connectx Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-0204 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data