CVE-2023-43078
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 Dock Firmware and Dell Client Platform contain an Improper Link Resolution vulnerability during installation resulting in arbitrary folder deletion, which could lead to Privilege Escalation or Denial of Service.
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 confidenceDell Dock Firmware and Dell Client Platform contain an improper link resolution vulnerability in their installer that allows arbitrary folder deletion through malicious symlink placement. During the installation process, the software fails to properly validate symbolic links, enabling an attacker to delete sensitive system folders or cause denial of service by exploiting the installation routine.
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< 4.62.156.006< 4.66.128.015< 4.65.111.022< 4.61.124.014< 4.46.147.004< 4.46.134.013< 4.66.131.016< 4.46.135.009< 4.65.162.003< 4.65.119.017< 4.62.140.014< 4.46.166.001< 7.2.2.0< 1.27.0< 1.22.0< 1.14.1< 1.14.1< 1.11.0< 1.11.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/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 installed Dell Thunderbolt Controller Firmware Update Utility versionCheck the installed version of Dell Intel Thunderbolt Controller Firmware Update Utility in Programs and Features or run 'Get-ItemProperty' on the installation directory. Compare against the affected version thresholds: 4.62.156.006, 4.66.128.015, 4.65.111.022, 4.61.124.014, 4.46.147.004, 4.46.134.013, 4.66.131.016, 4.46.135.009, 4.65.162.003, 4.65.119.017, 4.62.140.014, 4.46.166.001Affected if The installed version is lower than any of these thresholds
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Identify installed Dell TPM 2.0 Firmware Update Utility versionCheck the installed version of Dell Tpm 2.0 Firmware Update Utility in Programs and Features or locate the utility executable. Compare the version number to 7.2.2.0Affected if The installed version is below 7.2.2.0
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Identify Alienware notebook firmware versionCheck the BIOS/UEFI firmware version on Alienware M15 R6, M15 R7, M16 R1, M18 R1, X14 R2, or X16 R1 systems. Use 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or check Dell SupportAssist for firmware detailsAffected if Firmware version is below 1.27.0 for M15 R6, below 1.22.0 for M15 R7, below 1.14.1 for M16 R1/M18 R1, below 1.11.0 for X14 R2/X16 R1
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Verify if vulnerable installer was previously runReview installation logs or temporary folders for traces of older Dell firmware update utility installers. Check %TEMP% or %ProgramData% for Dell installer remnantsAffected if Evidence exists of running a firmware update utility with a version matching the affected ranges
The environment is affected if any Dell Thunderbolt Controller Firmware Update Utility, Dell TPM 2.0 Firmware Update Utility, or Alienware notebook firmware is installed below the specified version thresholds.
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 · scoped1.11.01.14.11.22.0
Apply the vendor-provided firmware and software updates from Dell to address the improper link resolution in the installation process.
Intel Thunderbolt Controller: 4.62.156.006/4.66.128.015/4.65.111.022/4.61.124.014 or later | TPM 2.0: 7.2.2.0 or later | Alienware firmware: 1.27.0/1.22.0/1.14.1/1.11.0 or later (model dependent)
- 1. Identify the specific product from the affected list (Intel Thunderbolt Controller Firmware Update Utility, Tpm 2.0 Firmware Update Utility, or one of the Alienware laptop firmware variants)
- 2. Determine the current installed version of the affected software or firmware
- 3. For Intel Thunderbolt Controller Firmware Update Utility: upgrade to version 4.62.156.006 or higher (or 4.66.128.015/4.65.111.022/4.61.124.014 depending on your specific controller model)
- 4. For Tpm 2.0 Firmware Update Utility: upgrade to version 7.2.2.0 or higher
- 5. For Alienware laptops: upgrade BIOS/firmware to version 1.27.0 (M15 R6), 1.22.0 (M15 R7), 1.14.1 (M16 R1, M18 R1), 1.11.0 (X14 R2, X16 R1) or later
- 6. Obtain the firmware update from Dell's support website using your specific service tag or product model
- 7. Apply the firmware update following Dell's standard update procedures, typically via the Dell Update Package (DUP) or BIOS setup
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-43078 — 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-2023-43078 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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- 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
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