Chromecast FirmwareOperating system · Google
CVE-2023-6181
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 · uneditedAn oversight in BCB handling of reboot reason that allows for persistent code execution
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 confidenceA logic flaw exists in the Bootloader Control Block (BCB) where the reboot reason handling does not properly validate or sanitize input, allowing an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code that persists across device reboots.
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
Chromecast FirmwareOperating system
< 2023-10-01CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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.
-
Confirm device model is Google ChromecastIdentify the specific Chromecast device model in your environment. This vulnerability affects Google Chromecast hardware, not other devices.Affected if The device is a Google Chromecast (any generation)
-
Check firmware version against affected rangeRetrieve the current firmware version installed on the Chromecast. Compare the build date to the cutoff of 2023-10-01. Earlier builds contain the vulnerable BCB reboot reason handling.Affected if Firmware build date is before October 1, 2023
-
Verify bootloader unlock stateInspect whether the bootloader has been unlocked on the device. On Chromecast devices, an unlocked bootloader is required to modify the Bootloader Control Block and inject arbitrary code that persists across reboots.Affected if Bootloader unlock is enabled or was previously enabled
-
Assess physical access exposureDetermine if the device is in a physically accessible location where an attacker could connect debug hardware or trigger reboot conditions to exploit the BCB logic flaw.Affected if Device has physical accessibility to untrusted individuals
A Google Chromecast with firmware predating October 2023, especially with an unlocked bootloader or exposed to physical access, is likely affected by this BCB reboot reason injection vulnerability.
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 · scoped2023-10-01
Update device firmware/bootloader to patched version; restrict physical access and bootloader unlock capabilities to prevent exploitation.
Chromecast Firmware 2023-10-01 or later
- Check current Chromecast firmware version in Google Home app or device settings
- Ensure automatic updates are enabled on the device
- If updates are not automatic, manually check for system updates through the Google Home app
- If device is on older firmware, trigger a manual update check or perform a factory reset to ensure clean installation of latest firmware
- Verify firmware version is 2023-10-01 or later after update completes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Chromecast Firmware
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-6181 — 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-2023-6181 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