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Gecko Software Development KitApplication · Silabs

CVE-2023-32097

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.2.1 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Compiler removal of buffer clearing in sli_crypto_transparent_aead_decrypt_tag in Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK v4.2.1 and earlier results in key material duplication to RAM.

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

A compiler optimization bug in Silicon Labs Gecko Platform SDK v4.2.1 and earlier causes the buffer clearing security measure in the sli_crypto_transparent_aead_decrypt_tag function to be removed during compilation. This results in cryptographic key material remaining in RAM instead of being properly zeroed after use, potentially exposing sensitive key data to memory scraping attacks.

MitigationUpdate to Gecko Platform SDK v4.3.0 or later which contains the security fix; alternatively, review code for manual key zeroing patterns and ensure compiler optimizations do not remove sensitive data clearing operations.

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
Gecko Software Development KitApplication
Affected:<= 4.2.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Gecko SDK version
    Check the SDK version in your project by examining build configuration files, SDK manifest, or release notes. Look in files like sdk_version.txt, release_notes.html in the SDK directory, or check your build system configuration for SDK version references.
    Affected if The installed SDK version is 4.2.1 or earlier.
  2. Check for usage of sli_crypto_transparent_aead_decrypt_tag
    Search your project source code for calls to the function sli_crypto_transparent_aead_decrypt_tag. This function is part of the secure element API used for AEAD decryption operations.
    Affected if Your code calls this function and the SDK version is vulnerable.
  3. Verify cryptographic key handling in your build
    Review your application code that uses crypto APIs to confirm keys are passed to or processed by the affected function. Check source files that handle secure element operations or authenticated encryption.
    Affected if Your application processes cryptographic keys through the vulnerable function in an SDK version <= 4.2.1.
  4. Review compiler optimization settings
    Examine your build configuration (Makefile, IDE project settings, or CMakeLists.txt) for compiler optimization flags. The bug manifests when compiler optimizations are enabled. Look for -O1, -O2, -Os, or -Oz flags.
    Affected if Compiler optimizations are enabled in your build configuration while using a vulnerable SDK version.

You are affected if your environment uses Gecko Platform SDK version 4.2.1 or earlier and your application invokes the sli_crypto_transparent_aead_decrypt_tag function with compiler optimizations enabled.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.2.1
Interim mitigation

Update to Gecko Platform SDK v4.3.0 or later which contains the security fix; alternatively, review code for manual key zeroing patterns and ensure compiler optimizations do not remove sensitive data clearing operations.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Gecko Platform SDK v4.3.0 or later (any version > 4.2.1)

  1. 1. Identify the current Gecko SDK version in use by checking the SDK manifest or version file in the development environment
  2. 2. Navigate to the Silicon Labs Simplicity Studio or Gecko SDK download page
  3. 3. Download and install the latest Gecko Platform SDK version (newer than v4.2.1)
  4. 4. Rebuild all firmware applications with the updated SDK to incorporate the fixed crypto library
  5. 5. Verify that the sli_crypto_transparent_aead_decrypt_tag function no longer has the buffer clearing optimization issue by reviewing release notes or contacting Silicon Labs support if needed
Caveat Review SDK migration guides as newer major versions may include API changes or require adjustments to peripheral configurations

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

Fix this in Gecko Software Development Kit Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
40.0 hours of engineering $7,000
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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-2023-32097 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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