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Ideacentre C5 14imb05 FirmwareOperating system · Lenovo

CVE-2023-43571

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
A buffer overflow was reported in the BiosExtensionLoader module in some Lenovo Desktop products that may allow a local attacker with elevated privileges to execute arbitrary code.

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 confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the BiosExtensionLoader module of certain Lenovo Desktop products. A local attacker with elevated privileges can exploit this to execute arbitrary code, potentially gaining further control over the system.

MitigationApply the BIOS/firmware update provided by Lenovo for affected Desktop products. Prioritize systems based on exposure and ensure proper backup/recovery procedures before applying firmware updates.

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
Ideacentre C5 14imb05 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< o4hkt3ca
Ideacentre 3 07ada05 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< o4fkt39a
Ideacentre 3 07imb05 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< m2vkt21a
Ideacentre 5 14iab7 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< m42kt46a
Ideacentre 5 14irb8 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< m4ukt36a
Ideacentre 5 14acn6 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ideacentre T540 15ama G FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Thinkcentre Neo 70t Gen 3 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< m40kt45a

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify your Lenovo desktop model
    Check the product label on the chassis or run 'wmic csproduct get name' in Command Prompt to confirm the exact model number (e.g., Ideacentre C5 14imb05, Thinkcentre Neo 70t Gen 3)
    Affected if The model matches one of the affected products listed in the CVE
  2. Determine the current BIOS/firmware version
    Access the BIOS setup (press F1 or F2 during boot) and locate the BIOS version on the Main or Information screen, or use 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' in Command Prompt, or open Lenovo Vantage and check the BIOS version under Device Settings
    Affected if The installed BIOS version cannot be determined or is lower than the fixed version for your model
  3. Compare against affected version thresholds
    For Ideacentre C5 14imb05, compare your version to o4hkt3ca; for Ideacentre 3 07ada05, compare to o4fkt39a; for Ideacentre 3 07imb05, compare to m2vkt21a; for Ideacentre 5 14iab7, compare to m42kt46a; for Ideacentre 5 14irb8, compare to m4ukt36a; for Thinkcentre Neo 70t Gen 3, compare to m40kt45a; Ideacentre 5 14acn6 and Ideacentre T540 15ama G are affected at ALL versions
    Affected if Your installed firmware version is below the threshold listed for your specific model, or your model is Ideacentre 5 14acn6 or Ideacentre T540 15ama G (all versions affected)
  4. Verify local attacker scenario applies
    Confirm that the system allows local access with elevated privileges, as this is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the BiosExtensionLoader module that requires local attacker with elevated privileges to exploit
    Affected if The system permits local users with elevated privileges to run code, which is typical for standard desktop configurations

You are affected if your Lenovo desktop model matches one of the listed products AND your current BIOS/firmware version is below the specified threshold (or any version for Ideacentre 5 14acn6 and Ideacentre T540 15ama G).

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

Apply the BIOS/firmware update provided by Lenovo for affected Desktop products. Prioritize systems based on exposure and ensure proper backup/recovery procedures before applying firmware updates.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Firmware o4hkt3ca or later for Ideacentre C5 14imb05; o4fkt39a or later for Ideacentre 3 07ada05; m2vkt21a or later for Ideacentre 3 07imb05; m42kt46a or later for Ideacentre 5 14iab7; m4ukt36a or later for Ideacentre 5 14irb8; m40kt45a or later for Thinkcentre Neo 70t Gen 3

  1. 1. Identify the exact model number of the affected Lenovo desktop system using the system information or product label
  2. 2. Navigate to the Lenovo support website (support.lenovo.com) and enter the product model number
  3. 3. Locate the BIOS/firmware download section for the specific product
  4. 4. Download the firmware version equal to or newer than the fixed version listed for the specific model: o4hkt3ca (C5 14imb05), o4fkt39a (07ada05), m2vkt21a (07imb05), m42kt46a (14iab7), m4ukt36a (14irb8), or m40kt45a (Neo 70t Gen 3)
  5. 5. Follow Lenovo's firmware update instructions - typically requires running the downloaded executable while the system is plugged into AC power
  6. 6. Restart the system after the firmware update completes
Caveat BIOS firmware updates carry inherent risk of system damage if interrupted; ensure stable power and do not interrupt the update process

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

Fix this in Ideacentre C5 14imb05 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2023-43571 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data