dbcve.org
OpenbmcOperating system · Intel

CVE-2023-31189

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Improper authentication in some Intel(R) Server Product OpenBMC firmware before version egs-1.09 may allow an authenticated user to enable escalation of privilege via local access.

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 vulnerability in Intel Server Product OpenBMC firmware before version egs-1.09 involves improper authentication that allows an already-authenticated user to escalate privileges through local access. The issue stems from insufficient authentication controls in the firmware that can be bypassed by a local authenticated attacker to gain higher-level privileges.

MitigationUpgrade OpenBMC firmware to version egs-1.09 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should also review user access permissions and follow least-privilege principles for local BMC access.

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
OpenbmcOperating system
Affected:< egs-1.09

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 if the system runs Intel OpenBMC firmware
    Access the BMC web interface, use IPMI command 'ipmitool mc info', or query the Redfish API endpoint '/redfish/v1/Managers/1' to confirm the firmware is Intel OpenBMC
    Affected if The system is not running Intel OpenBMC firmware - this CVE only applies to Intel OpenBMC
  2. Determine the installed OpenBMC version
    Run 'ipmitool mc info' or check the BMC web interface firmware version page; alternatively, query the Redfish API '/redfish/v1/Managers/1/SoftwareInventory' to retrieve the firmware version string
    Affected if The installed version string is lower than egs-1.09 (for example, egs-1.08, egs-1.07, etc.)
  3. Verify local authenticated access is enabled
    Check BMC configuration for local console/serial access, IPMI LAN privileges, or local user accounts with shell access. Review /etc/passwd or user accounts via Redfish '/redfish/v1/AccountService/Accounts' if accessible
    Affected if Local authenticated access is enabled and there are user accounts with local access privileges (the privilege escalation requires an already-authenticated local user)

The environment is affected if it runs Intel OpenBMC firmware version below egs-1.09 AND allows local authenticated access, allowing a local user to potentially escalate privileges beyond their assigned role.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade OpenBMC firmware to version egs-1.09 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should also review user access permissions and follow least-privilege principles for local BMC access.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

egs-1.09 or later

  1. Identify the current OpenBMC firmware version running on the Intel Server Product
  2. Download the OpenBMC firmware version egs-1.09 or later from Intel's official support website
  3. Follow Intel's standard firmware update procedure for the specific server product (typically via BMC web interface, IPMI, or Redfish API)
  4. Apply the firmware update ensuring stable power throughout the process
  5. Verify the firmware update was successful by checking the new BMC firmware version

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

Fix this in Openbmc Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2023-31189 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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