# CVE-2023-43078: Path traversal in Dell Client Platform, Dell Dock Firmware

> Attackers can exploit improper link resolution during installation to delete arbitrary folders, leading to privilege escalation or denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 28 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-296j-r9gr-7w2c

## What is CVE-2023-43078?

CVE-2023-43078 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Dell Chengming 3990 Firmware, published on 28 Aug 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Dell 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.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-43078?

It affects 346 products.


Products: Dell Alienware M15 R6 Firmware, Dell Alienware M15 R7 Firmware, Dell Alienware M16 R1 Firmware, Dell Alienware M18 R1 Firmware, Dell Alienware X14 R2 Firmware, Dell Alienware X16 R1 Firmware, Dell Chengming 3900 Firmware, Dell Chengming 3910 Firmware, Dell Chengming 3911 Firmware, Dell Chengming 3988 Firmware, Dell Chengming 3990 Firmware, Dell Chengming 3991 Firmware, Dell Dock Hd22q Firmware Update Utility, Dell Dock Wd19 Firmware Update Utility, Dell Dock Wd22tb4 Firmware Update Utility, Dell G15 5510 Firmware, Dell G15 5511 Firmware, Dell G15 5520 Firmware, Dell G15 5530 Firmware, Dell G16 7620 Firmware and 326 more.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-43078?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-43078 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-43078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-43078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dell Chengming 3990 Firmware

- [CVE-2024-52541](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-52541/): Auth bypass in Dell Client Platform BIOS (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2022-26861](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26861/): Code injection in CPG BIOS (high 7.9)
- [CVE-2022-34403](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-34403/): Memory corruption in CPG BIOS (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2022-26860](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26860/): Memory corruption in CPG BIOS (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-21572](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21572/): Memory corruption in BIOSConnect (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-43078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-43078 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Dell Chengming 3990 Firmware, published on 28 Aug 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-43078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dell Chengming 3990 Firmware. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-43078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-43078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-43078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-43078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-43078

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-43078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.