CVE-2023-32475
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 · uneditedDell BIOS contains a missing support for integrity check vulnerability. An attacker with physical access to the system could potentially bypass security mechanisms to run arbitrary code on the system.
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 is a BIOS integrity check vulnerability in Dell systems where the firmware lacks proper integrity verification mechanisms. An attacker with physical access can exploit this to bypass security controls and execute arbitrary code at the firmware level, achieving persistent compromise before the operating system loads.
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< 1.13.0< 1.19.0< 1.19.0< 1.16.0< 1.8.0< 1.12.0< 1.15.1< 1.16.0CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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.
-
Identify exact Dell Vostro modelCheck the system model number on the device label, in BIOS setup (press F2 during boot), or via Windows Command Prompt: `wmic computersystem get model`Affected if Model is one of: Vostro 5625, 5515, 5415, 3405, 16 5635, 15 3535, 15 3525, or 15 3515
-
Check installed BIOS/firmware versionOpen Windows Command Prompt and run: `wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion` or access BIOS setup (F2 at boot) and navigate to the BIOS version information screenAffected if Unable to retrieve a version number or version displays as unknown
-
Compare version against affected thresholdMatch your model to its threshold: Vostro 5625 <1.13.0, Vostro 5515 <1.19.0, Vostro 5415 <1.19.0, Vostro 3405 <1.16.0, Vostro 16 5635 <1.8.0, Vostro 15 3535 <1.12.0, Vostro 15 3525 <1.15.1, Vostro 15 3515 <1.16.0. Use numeric comparison treating each segment as a number.Affected if Installed version is lower than the threshold for your specific model listed above
-
Verify BIOS integrity verification statusAccess BIOS setup (F2 at boot) and look for security options such as 'BIOS Integrity Check', 'Secure Boot', or 'Firmware Guardian'. Check if these settings are present, enabled, or reporting a status.Affected if No integrity verification options are available in BIOS or settings are missing/disabled (only applies if firmware version is below threshold)
Your system is affected if the installed BIOS/firmware version is lower than the threshold listed for your specific Vostro model, since the vulnerability exists in versions lacking proper integrity verification mechanisms.
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 · scoped1.8.01.12.01.13.0
Apply the Dell BIOS/firmware update corresponding to your system model from Dell's support website. Verify the update includes the integrity check fix before deployment.
BIOS firmware versions: 1.13.0 (Vostro 5625), 1.19.0 (Vostro 5515/5415), 1.16.0 (Vostro 3405/3515), 1.8.0 (Vostro 16 5635), 1.12.0 (Vostro 15 3535), 1.15.1 (Vostro 15 3525)
- 1. Identify your specific Dell Vostro model number (e.g., Vostro 5625, Vostro 5515, etc.)
- 2. Determine the current BIOS version by accessing BIOS/UEFI setup (press F2 during boot) or checking in Windows via 'msinfo32'
- 3. Navigate to Dell Support website (www.dell.com) and enter your Service Tag or search for your Vostro model
- 4. Locate the BIOS update section for your specific model
- 5. Download the BIOS update file that matches or exceeds the fixed version for your model: Vostro 5625 requires 1.13.0, Vostro 5515/5415 require 1.19.0, Vostro 3405 requires 1.16.0, Vostro 16 5635 requires 1.8.0, Vostro 15 3535 requires 1.12.0, Vostro 15 3525 requires 1.15.1, Vostro 15 3515 requires 1.16.0
- 6. Run the BIOS update executable or save to USB for updating outside of OS
- 7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the BIOS update; ensure the system remains powered throughout the update process
- 8. After update completes, verify the new BIOS version in BIOS/UEFI setup
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-32475 — 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-2023-32475 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