CVE-2023-25537
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 · uneditedDell PowerEdge 14G server BIOS versions prior to 2.18.1 and Dell Precision BIOS versions prior to 2.18.2, contain an Out of Bounds write vulnerability. A local attacker with low privileges could potentially exploit this vulnerability leading to exposure of some SMRAM stack/data/code in System Management Mode, leading to arbitrary code execution or escalation of privilege.
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 confidenceDell PowerEdge 14G server BIOS (prior to 2.18.1) and Dell Precision BIOS (prior to 2.18.2) contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. A local attacker with low privileges can exploit this to write beyond allocated memory boundaries, exposing SMRAM (System Management RAM) containing stack/data/code from System Management Mode (SMM). This enables arbitrary code execution in the SMM context or privilege escalation to the highest privilege level on the system.
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< 2.18.1< 2.18.1< 2.18.1< 2.18.1< 2.18.1< 2.18.1< 2.18.1< 2.18.1CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Dell PowerEdge modelRun `dmidecode -s system-product-name` or check the system nameplate or iDRAC interface to confirm the exact model (R740, R740xd, R640, R940, R540, R440, T440, or Xr2)Affected if The model is one of the listed PowerEdge 14G servers
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Retrieve the installed BIOS versionRun `dmidecode -s bios-version` from Linux, or `wmic bios get SMBIOSBIOSVersion` from Windows, or check System > BIOS in the iDRAC web interfaceAffected if A BIOS version number is returned that is lower than 2.18.1
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Verify the firmware familyConfirm this is a Dell PowerEdge 14G BIOS (not a consumer or older generation) by checking `dmidecode -s baseboard-manufacturer` or the iDRAC informationAffected if The system is a Dell PowerEdge 14G server with BIOS version below 2.18.1
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Check if System Management Mode (SMM) is accessibleThis vulnerability requires SMM to be active. Verify SMM is enabled in BIOS settings under 'System Management' or 'Security' settings. The flaw is exploitable when SMRAM is exposedAffected if SMM is enabled and the BIOS version is below 2.18.1
The system is affected if it is a Dell PowerEdge 14G model (R740, R740xd, R640, R940, R540, R440, T440, or Xr2) with BIOS firmware version below 2.18.1, with SMM/SMRAM active.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped2.18.1
Apply vendor-supplied BIOS updates: version 2.18.1 or later for Dell PowerEdge 14G servers, and version 2.18.2 or later for Dell Precision workstations. Updates require system reboot and should be deployed following standard firmware change management procedures with appropriate testing in non-production environments first.
BIOS version 2.18.1 for PowerEdge 14G servers; BIOS version 2.18.2 for Dell Precision
- Identify the exact PowerEdge model (R740, R740xd, R640, R940, R540, R440, T440, or Xr2) requiring the BIOS update
- Download the BIOS update package (DUP) for your specific model from Dell Support at www.dell.com - ensure the version is 2.18.1 or later
- Verify the current BIOS version by accessing the BIOS setup (F2 during boot) or via iDRAC Lifecycle Controller
- Apply the BIOS update using one of these methods: (a) Run the Dell Update Package (DUP) from the OS, (b) Use iDRAC Lifecycle Controller to apply the update, or (c) Use the BIOS flash utility from a USB bootable media
- Reboot the server and allow the BIOS update to complete - do not interrupt power during the flash process
- After update completes, verify the BIOS version is 2.18.1 or later in BIOS setup or via iDRAC
- For Dell Precision systems, ensure BIOS version is upgraded to 2.18.2 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-25537 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-25537 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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