dbcve.org
Gecko Software Development KitApplication · Silabs

CVE-2023-2481

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.2.1 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Compiler removal of buffer clearing in sli_se_opaque_import_key in Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK v4.2.1 and earlier results in key material duplication to RAM.

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 · high confidence

The compiler optimizes away buffer clearing operations in the sli_se_opaque_import_key function within Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK v4.2.1 and earlier, causing cryptographic key material to remain in RAM instead of being securely wiped after use. This creates a window for attackers with memory access to potentially recover sensitive key material.

MitigationUpdate to Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK v4.2.2 or later which contains the fix for preventing compiler removal of buffer clearing, and verify that cryptographic key operations function correctly after the update.

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
Gecko Software Development KitApplication
Affected:<= 4.2.1

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

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 Silicon Labs Gecko SDK usage
    Search your project for Gecko SDK files, check build configurations, or look for 'gecko' in SDK paths and dependency manifests
    Affected if The project uses Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK for cryptographic operations
  2. Determine installed SDK version
    Check the SDK version file (typically version.txt, gecko_sdk_version.h, or similar in the SDK root directory) or examine the SDK folder name for version numbers
    Affected if The SDK version is 4.2.1 or any earlier version (e.g., 4.2.0, 4.1.x, etc.)
  3. Check for use of sli_se_opaque_import_key function
    Search source code for references to 'sli_se_opaque_import_key' function calls, typically in cryptographic key import routines
    Affected if The application code calls sli_se_opaque_import_key for importing cryptographic keys
  4. Verify compiler optimization settings
    Review build configuration (Makefile, CMakeLists.txt, or IDE project settings) for optimization flags such as -O2, -O3, -Os that enable aggressive compiler optimizations
    Affected if Compiler optimization flags (especially -O2 or higher) are enabled in the build, which allows the compiler to remove the memset buffer clearing operation

You are affected if your project uses Silicon Labs Gecko SDK version 4.2.1 or earlier AND calls the sli_se_opaque_import_key function with compiler optimizations enabled, as key material may not be securely wiped from memory.

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 a release after 4.2.1
Interim mitigation

Update to Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK v4.2.2 or later which contains the fix for preventing compiler removal of buffer clearing, and verify that cryptographic key operations function correctly after the update.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK > 4.2.1 (any version newer than 4.2.1)

  1. Obtain the latest version of Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK from the official Silicon Labs website or their GitHub repository
  2. Replace the existing SDK version 4.2.1 or earlier with the updated version in your development environment
  3. Rebuild and test your application to ensure compatibility with the new SDK version
Caveat Review release notes for any API changes or deprecations between your current version and the new version

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

Fix this in Gecko Software Development Kit 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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-2481 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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