Summary
uefi-firmware contains a stack out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the native tiano/EFI decompressor. in uefi_firmware/compression/Tiano/Decompress.c, MakeTable() does not validate that bit-length values read from the compressed bitstream are within the expected range (0..16). a crafted firmware blob can supply bit lengths greater than 16, causing out-of-bounds writes to the stack-allocated Count[17] array and related decode tables.
reachability is through the normal parsing path: CompressedSection.process() -> efi_compressor.TianoDecompress() -> TianoDecompress() -> ReadPTLen() -> MakeTable().
Minimum impact is a deterministic crash; depending on build/runtime details, the stack memory corruption may be exploitable for code execution in the context of the parsing process. this project shipped its own copy of the decompressor without the upstream EDK2 hardening for this bug class.
References:
- PR: https://github.com/theopolis/uefi-firmware-parser/pull/145
- fix commit: https://github.com/theopolis/uefi-firmware-parser/commit/bf3dfaa8a05675bae6ea0cbfa082ddcebfcde23e
- upstream related fixes: CVE-2017-5731, CVE-2017-5732, CVE-2017-5733, CVE-2017-5734, CVE-2017-5735
Impact
A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or arbitrary code execution.
GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. In native-code projects, use bounds-checked containers and enable compiler hardening flags.
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J? GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J is a critical-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in uefi-firmware (pip), affecting versions <= 1.12. No fixed version is listed yet. A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.
- How severe is GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J? GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of uefi-firmware are affected by GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J? uefi-firmware (pip) versions <= 1.12 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J? No fixed version is listed for GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-2689-5P89-6J3J? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. In native-code projects, use bounds-checked containers and enable compiler hardening flags.