CVE-2019-18216
6.8 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2019-18216 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting asus rog_zephyrus_m_gm501gs_firmware. 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 and patches from asus. Update rog_zephyrus_m_gm501gs_firmware to the latest patched version. 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.
Affected Products
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2019-18216?
CVE-2019-18216 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting asus rog_zephyrus_m_gm501gs_firmware. 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 and patches from asus. Update rog_zephyrus_m_gm501gs_firmware to the latest patched version. 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's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2019-18216 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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