CVE-2019-18216 Security feature bypass in n/a
Attackers with physical access can bypass USB boot restrictions by draining the main battery, allowing unauthorized hard drive access via live USB.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2019-18216?
CVE-2019-18216 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Oct 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The BIOS configuration design on ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS laptops with BIOS 313 relies on the main battery instead of using a CMOS battery, which reduces the value of a protection mechanism in which booting from a USB device is prohibited. Attackers who have physical laptop access can exhaust the main battery to reset the BIOS configuration, and then achieve direct access to the hard drive by booting a live USB OS without disassembling the laptop. NOTE: the vendor has apparently indicated that this is "normal" and use of the same battery for the BIOS and the overall system is a "new design." However, the vendor apparently plans to "improve" this an unspecified later time
Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18216?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Asus Rog Zephyrus M Gm501gs Firmware.
How do I fix CVE-2019-18216?
No fix has been published for CVE-2019-18216 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2019-18216 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18216 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-j988-q3vx-6wph.