CVE-2023-28545
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 · uneditedMemory corruption in TZ Secure OS while loading an app ELF.
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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in TZ Secure OS occurring during application ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) loading. This suggests improper validation or bounds checking when parsing ELF headers or loading executable content into memory, potentially allowing an attacker to corrupt memory and potentially achieve code execution within the trusted execution environment.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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.
-
Identify the device chipset or modem modelCheck product documentation, FCC ID labeling, or use commands like 'at+cgmm' (for modems) or inspect boot logs for Qualcomm chipset identifiers such as MDM9205, MDM315, AQT1000, AR803x, CSRA6620, CSRA6640, or FastConnect 6200Affected if The device uses any of the listed Qualcomm chips: 315 5G IoT Modem, 9205 LTE Modem, Aqt1000, Ar8031, Ar8035, Csra6620, Csra6640, or Fastconnect 6200
-
Determine the TZ Secure OS firmware versionQuery the trusted execution environment via vendor-specific diagnostic interfaces, check modem firmware version strings (for example, using AT commands like 'at+ver' or manufacturer-provided tools), or review firmware release notes for TZ patch informationAffected if The TZ Secure OS firmware version does not include the CVE-2023-28545 security patch; all versions listed are affected prior to vendor remediation
-
Verify if TZ Secure OS ELF loading is accessibleExamine whether applications can be loaded into the trusted execution environment - check for debug/test interfaces, developer modes, or configuration settings that permit loading custom ELF binaries into TZ; review system permissions and SELinux/AppArmor policies if availableAffected if Untrusted or unsigned ELF binaries can be loaded into the TZ Secure OS environment, enabling the vulnerable code path during ELF parsing
A user is affected if their device contains any of the listed Qualcomm chips and runs firmware where untrusted ELF applications can be loaded into TZ Secure OS without proper validation.
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.
From vendor dataApply vendor patches when available; otherwise, restrict untrusted application loading in TZ Secure OS and ensure only signed/verified ELF binaries are permitted to load.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $12,352.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28545 — 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-2023-28545 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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