CVE-2023-5138
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 · uneditedGlitch detection is not enabled by default for the CortexM33 core in Silicon Labs secure vault high parts EFx32xG2xB, except EFR32xG21B.
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 confidenceGlitch detection (hardware fault injection protection) is not enabled by default on the CortexM33 core in Silicon Labs secure vault high parts EFx32xG2xB (excluding EFR32xG21B). This could allow attackers to use glitching techniques to bypass security measures.
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>= 1.0.0, < 4.4.0CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Gecko SDK versionInspect your project configuration or build environment to identify the installed Silicon Labs Gecko SDK version numberAffected if SDK version is 1.0.0 or higher but lower than 4.4.0
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Identify the target hardware partDetermine the exact Silicon Labs chip model number in your device (for example, from the board marking, schematics, or device configuration)Affected if The part is in the EFx32xG2xB family and is NOT EFR32xG21B
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Check secure vault configuration for glitch detectionReview your secure vault configuration file or settings (such as .slcp project file, or consult AN1337 for configuration inspectable via Simplicity Studio or command-line tools) to verify whether the glitch detection protection is enabledAffected if Glitch detection is explicitly disabled or not configured in the secure vault settings
You are affected if your environment uses Gecko SDK versions 1.0.0 through below 4.4.0, runs on an EFx32xG2xB chip (excluding EFR32xG21B), and has glitch detection disabled in the secure vault 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.
dbcve · scoped4.4.0
Enable glitch detection in the secure vault configuration for affected Silicon Labs chips. Consult Silicon Labs AN1337 or similar documentation for secure vault configuration guidance.
Gecko SDK 4.4.0 or later
- Upgrade the Gecko SDK to version 4.4.0 or later where glitch detection is enabled by default for CortexM33 cores in affected secure vault high parts
- If upgrading is not immediately possible, manually enable glitch detection in the device configuration for CortexM33-based EFR32xG2xB parts (excluding EFR32xG21B)
- Refer to Silicon Labs community documentation at community.silabs.com for specific configuration steps to enable glitch detection in the Secure Vault settings
- After enabling, verify the configuration is applied by checking the device security settings
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-5138 — 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-2023-5138 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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