Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.2k

CVE-2019-18216

6.8 · MEDIUM

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 w…

Published Oct 20, 2019EPSS 0.38%

Overview

CVE-2019-18216 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on October 20, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical 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

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-18216?

CVE-2019-18216 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on October 20, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2019-18216?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2019-18216?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2019-18216?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2019-18216 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

Related MEDIUM CVEs from 2019

View all