dbcve.org
SbiosOperating system · Nvidia

CVE-2023-25509

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 52w_3a13 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 DGX-1 SBIOS contains a vulnerability in Bds, which may lead to code execution, denial of service, and escalation of privileges.

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

This is a vulnerability in the Bds (Boot Device Selection) component of the UEFI BIOS firmware on NVIDIA DGX-1 deep learning systems. The Bds module handles boot device selection during the firmware initialization process, and the vulnerability may allow attackers to achieve code execution with high privileges, cause denial of service, or escalate privileges on affected systems.

MitigationApply the NVIDIA-provided firmware update for the DGX-1 SBIOS to patch the vulnerable Bds component. This requires coordination with NVIDIA support, scheduling maintenance windows due to the critical nature of BIOS updates, and thorough post-update verification to ensure system stability.

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
SbiosOperating system
Affected:< 52w_3a13

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 the system model
    Check if the system is an NVIDIA DGX-1 by reviewing system inventory, hardware labels, or running commands like 'dmidecode -s system-product-name' or 'lshw -C system' if supported
    Affected if The system is an NVIDIA DGX-1 deep learning system
  2. Check the SBIOS firmware version
    Retrieve the SBIOS version using utilities such as 'dmidecode -s bios-version', 'efibootmgr -v', or vendor-specific tools like NVIDIA's System Management Interface (nvidia-smi) if available
    Affected if The SBIOS version returned is below 52w_3a13 (for example, 52w_3a12, 52w_3a11, or earlier)
  3. Verify the Bds module is present
    Inspect the UEFI BIOS firmware image or use tools like 'efibootmgr' to list boot entries, or check system firmware dumps for the Bds module presence
    Affected if The Bds (Boot Device Selection) module exists in the firmware, which is standard on UEFI-based DGX-1 systems
  4. Check for unauthorized boot configuration changes
    Review boot order settings, EFI boot variables via 'efibootmgr -v', and compare against known-good baseline configurations
    Affected if Boot device selection settings have been modified without authorization or show unexpected entries

A system is affected if it is an NVIDIA DGX-1 with SBIOS version lower than 52w_3a13, as the vulnerable Bds component is present in those firmware versions.

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 52w_3a13 or later
Fixed in 52w_3a13
Interim mitigation

Apply the NVIDIA-provided firmware update for the DGX-1 SBIOS to patch the vulnerable Bds component. This requires coordination with NVIDIA support, scheduling maintenance windows due to the critical nature of BIOS updates, and thorough post-update verification to ensure system stability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

SBIOS version 52w_3a13 or later

  1. Obtain the official NVIDIA DGX-1 BIOS update from nvidia.custhelp.com or the NVIDIA Enterprise Support portal
  2. Download the SBIOS firmware version 52w_3a13 or later
  3. Review the BIOS update instructions and release notes for any specific prerequisites
  4. Create a bootable USB drive or use the appropriate firmware update mechanism provided by NVIDIA
  5. Follow NVIDIA's documented procedure to flash the SBIOS firmware, typically requiring system reboot and careful power management
  6. Verify the BIOS version has been successfully updated to 52w_3a13 or later after the flashing process
Caveat BIOS firmware upgrades carry inherent risks; ensure proper power backup and follow NVIDIA's update procedure precisely to avoid system damage

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

Fix this in Sbios Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
26.0 hours of engineering $4,600
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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-2023-25509 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