CVE-2023-30633
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in TrEEConfigDriver in Insyde InsydeH2O with kernel 5.0 through 5.5. It can report false TPM PCR values, and thus mask malware activity. Devices use Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs) to record information about device and software configuration to ensure that the boot process is secure. (For example, Windows uses these PCR measurements to determine device health.) A vulnerable device can masquerade as a healthy device by extending arbitrary values into Platform Configuration Register (PCR) banks. This requires physical access to a target victim's device, or compromise of user credentials for a device. This issue is similar to CVE-2021-42299 (on Surface Pro devices).
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 confidenceThe TrEEConfigDriver in InsydeH2O kernel versions 5.0-5.5 allows reporting false TPM PCR values by extending arbitrary values into PCR banks, enabling a physically accessed or compromised device to masquerade as healthy and mask malware activity from attestation mechanisms.
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>= 5.3, < 5.3.05.37.17>= 5.4, < 5.4.05.45.17>= 5.5, < 5.5.05.53.17>= 5.6, < 5.6.05.60.17= 5.2CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the UEFI firmware vendorOn Linux, run 'dmidecode -s bios-vendor' or check /sys/class/dmi/id/bios_vendor; on Windows, run 'wmic bios get Manufacturer'Affected if The vendor is not Insyde (the system uses a different UEFI firmware) - this CVE only applies to InsydeH2O firmware
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Determine the InsydeH2O firmware versionOn Linux, run 'dmidecode -s bios-version' or check /sys/class/dmi/id/bios_version; on Windows, run 'wmic bios get SMBIOSBIOSVersion'Affected if The firmware version falls within any of these ranges: 5.2 (any subversion), 5.3.x versions before 5.3.05.37.17, 5.4.x versions before 5.4.05.45.17, 5.5.x versions before 5.5.05.53.17, or 5.6.x versions before 5.6.05.60.17
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Verify TPM is present and activeOn Linux, run 'tpm2_getcap properties-fixed' or check /dev/tpm0; on Windows, run 'Get-Tpm' from TPM module or check TPM status in Device ManagerAffected if TPM is present and being used for PCR-based attestation - the vulnerability exploits TPM PCR extending to mask attestation
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Confirm TrEEConfigDriver is loaded or configuredOn Linux with UEFI environment, check UEFI variable '8C5E44F8-A7B2-4f3c-9B6E-4A2C3F2E8D1E' or list loaded UEFI drivers via 'efibootmgr -v'; on Windows, check UEFI driver list in firmware settingsAffected if The TrEEConfigDriver (TPM2 EFI driver) is present and active in the UEFI environment - this is the vulnerable component that performs PCR manipulation
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Review TPM PCR log for anomaliesRun 'tpm2_pcrread' to view current PCR values and compare against expected boot measurements; look for unexpected PCR extensions or missing boot eventsAffected if PCR values do not match expected boot integrity measurements or show signs of manipulation - though this is post-exploitation detection, not preventive
You are affected if your system uses InsydeH2O firmware AND the version falls within the affected ranges AND you rely on TPM PCR measurements for attestation, as the TrEEConfigDriver can extend arbitrary values to mask compromise.
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 · scoped5.3.05.37.175.4.05.45.175.5.05.53.17
Apply firmware updates from InsydeH2O when available; until then, enforce physical security controls and protect user credentials to prevent the required attack vector, and verify device health through additional integrity checks beyond PCR measurements.
InsydeH2O version 5.3.05.37.17 or later for the 5.3 branch; 5.4.05.45.17 or later for the 5.4 branch; 5.5.05.53.17 or later for the 5.5 branch; 5.6.05.60.17 or later for the 5.6 branch
- Identify the current InsydeH2O firmware version on the affected device by accessing the UEFI/BIOS setup or using system information tools
- Determine which version branch (5.3, 5.4, 5.5, or 5.6) the current firmware belongs to
- Contact the device OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to obtain the fixed firmware update for the specific version branch
- Apply the firmware update following the OEM's standard UEFI/BIOS update process, which typically involves flashing the new firmware via the OEM's update utility or through the UEFI setup interface
- After updating, verify that the firmware version now matches or exceeds the fixed release (5.3.05.37.17, 5.4.05.45.17, 5.5.05.53.17, or 5.6.05.60.17 depending on the branch)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-30633 — 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-2023-30633 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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