CVE-2023-31315
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 · uneditedImproper validation in a model specific register (MSR) could allow a malicious program with ring0 access to modify SMM configuration while SMI lock is enabled, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
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 confidenceThis vulnerability in a Model Specific Register (MSR) allows a program with ring0 (kernel/privileged) access to bypass the SMI lock and modify System Management Mode (SMM) configuration. This breaks a critical security boundary, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution at the most privileged CPU level.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- High
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the system firmware versionAccess the system BIOS/UEFI setup or use tools like 'dmidecode -s bios-version' (Linux) or 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' (Windows) to retrieve the installed firmware versionAffected if The firmware version falls within an affected range (compare against OEM release notes for CVE-2023-31315)
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Verify SMI lock statusRead the SMI lock bit via the relevant MSR (typically MSR 0xFE for IA32_SMI_LOCK or similar vendor-specific MSR). On Linux, use 'rdmsr 0xFE' if available, or check BIOS setup for 'SMI Lock' or 'SMM Lock' settingAffected if SMI lock is disabled or not set, allowing modification of SMM configuration from ring0
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Confirm ring0 access requirementsVerify that untrusted code could potentially obtain kernel/ring0 privileges on this system. Check for known kernel vulnerabilities or misconfigurations that could grant privileged accessAffected if An untrusted local user or attacker can obtain kernel-level (ring0) code execution on the system
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Check for SMM configuration volatilityExamine current SMM configuration state by reading relevant SMM-related MSRs (such as IA32_SMM_MONITOR_CTL or vendor-specific SMM registers) to detect any unexpected modificationsAffected if SMM configuration registers show unexpected values or indicate the SMI lock has been bypassed
A system is affected if it runs firmware without the CVE-2023-31315 patch, allows ring0 access to untrusted code, and has SMI lock disabled or bypassable, enabling modification of SMM configuration.
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 OEM/firmware updates that address this MSR validation issue; ensure secure boot processes are enabled and monitor for any kernel-level compromises as the attack requires ring0 access.
- 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-2023-31315 — 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-2023-31315 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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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