Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw can let a privileged remote user crash the ASUS BMC web management service through an unchecked audit log configuration input. It affects specific ASUS BMC firmware versions and primarily creates an availability risk, not data theft or system takeover based on the provided sources.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate infrastructure hygiene issue. It is not evidenced as actively exploited, but BMC availability matters because management controllers support server operations and recovery. Prioritize exposed or shared-management-network deployments first.
Technical view
CVE-2021-28180 is a CWE-120 buffer overflow in the Audit log configuration setting of ASUS BMC firmware web management. The function fails to verify user-supplied string length. CVSS 3.1 is 4.9: network-reachable, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, high availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to ASUS BMC firmware for Z10PR-D16 1.14.51, ASMB8-iKVM 1.14.51, and Z10PE-D16 WS 1.14.2. Risk is higher where BMC web management is reachable from broad internal networks or the internet.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires privileged permission first. The documented impact is abnormal termination of the web service, affecting availability only in the CVSS vector.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse. The provided record identifies vulnerable products, versions, CWE-120, CVSS 4.9, and service termination impact. It does not provide exploit details, a fixed version, or proof of exploitation. Avoid assuming broader ASUS BMC exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Check ASUS and TWCERT advisories for fixed firmware or supported workarounds.
- Update affected BMC firmware if ASUS provides a fixed release for the platform.
- Restrict BMC web management to a dedicated management network or VPN.
- Limit BMC privileged accounts and review access for unnecessary administrators.
- Monitor BMC web service health for unexpected termination or restart events.
Validation and detection
- Inventory ASUS BMC platforms and record exact firmware versions.
- Confirm whether Z10PR-D16, ASMB8-iKVM, or Z10PE-D16 WS are deployed.
- Verify BMC web management is not internet-accessible.
- Review privileged BMC accounts for least-privilege alignment.
- Check ASUS and TWCERT pages for current remediation status.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-120: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-28180 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.9 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H1.23.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.9MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.asus.com/content/ASUS-Product-Security-Advisory/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.asus.com/tw/support/callus/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.twcert.org.tw/tw/cp-132-4550-5ee8c-1.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.