CVE-2023-45232 is a high severity infinite loop, scored 7.5, in the EDK2 network package. Parsing unknown options in an IPv6 Destination Options header never finishes. The fix is in edk2-stable202402, so update firmware or disable PXE boot. Disable PXE boot if you cannot update yet.
What's affected
The advisory for the EDK2 network stack (tracked as GHSA-hc6x-cw6p-gj7h) lists NetworkPkg in EDK2 up to and including the 202311 release as affected. The NVD record shows the product as TianoCore EDK2 with no version bounds, so the advisory is the more precise source.
The advisory lists these releases as fixed:
- CVE-2023-45229 through CVE-2023-45235 are fixed in edk2-stable202402.
- CVE-2023-45236 and CVE-2023-45237 are fixed in edk2-stable202405.
EDK2 is the open source UEFI firmware reference code. Many vendors build their own firmware from it, so the version you need to look at is your firmware vendor's release, not the EDK2 tag. Virtual machine firmware such as OVMF is built from the same code.
How to check if you're exposed
You need to know two things: whether your machines run an EDK2 based firmware, and whether network boot is enabled on them.
On a Linux host you can read the firmware vendor and version from the DMI tables:
sudo dmidecode -t bios
For virtual machines that use OVMF, check the packaged firmware build on the hypervisor host:
dpkg -l | grep -i ovmf
rpm -q edk2-ovmf
Compare the result with your vendor's advisory, since vendors backport fixes under their own version numbers. Then look in firmware setup, or in your fleet tooling, for PXE or HTTP boot settings. The advisory states that exploitation needs PXE boot enabled, that it is off by default, and that it is often turned on for servers and some laptops.
What to do now
- List the systems whose firmware is built from EDK2, including virtual machines that use OVMF, and record the firmware version of each.
- Update to firmware that includes EDK2 stable 202402 or later, and confirm it with the vendor's notes.
- If you cannot update yet, turn off PXE and HTTP boot on machines that do not need network boot, as the advisory suggests.
- Keep firmware update status in the same inventory as your software dependencies, so a future firmware advisory is a query and not a project.
Why it matters
The weakness is an infinite loop, CWE-835: a loop whose exit condition can never be reached. When the EDK2 IPv6 code meets an unknown option in the Destination Options header, it keeps going without making progress, and the machine stops booting.
The vector is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, so the effect is availability only. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact in the record. A hung boot on a server can still be costly, especially for fleets that rely on network provisioning.
The CVE is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list. The advisory says exploitation needs PXE boot enabled, which is off by default but common on servers.
Safeguard's free in-browser dependency scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan reads the manifests and lockfiles of software projects. It will not see firmware or device images, so for this issue the asset inventory and the vendor advisory are your main tools.
Quick check
Does this expose data?
No. The record rates the impact as availability only: confidentiality and integrity are unaffected.
Where is the fix?
The GitHub advisory lists edk2-stable202402. Confirm your vendor's build includes it.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
