CVE-2019-14203 Denx CVE debrief

Who should care

Teams that build, ship, or maintain U-Boot-based firmware should prioritize this issue, especially where NFS-related boot functionality is used or exposed. Security teams tracking embedded device bootloaders and OEM firmware updates should also review it.

Technical summary

NVD classifies CVE-2019-14203 as CWE-787 and describes a stack-based buffer overflow in the nfs_handler reply helper function nfs_mount_reply in Das U-Boot through 2019.07. The published CVSS v3.0 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating a remotely reachable condition with no privileges or user interaction and potential high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Defensive priority

High. The combination of a critical CVSS score, network reachability, and no authentication or user interaction makes this a strong patch-priority item for any environment that depends on affected U-Boot versions.

Recommended defensive actions

• Inventory firmware and images that include Das U-Boot versions through 2019.07.
• Apply the vendor or upstream U-Boot update that addresses CVE-2019-14203, using the linked advisory and repository references to identify the fixed release or commit.
• If immediate patching is not possible, minimize exposure of affected boot paths and review whether NFS-related boot functionality is required in deployed builds.
• Validate updated firmware in a staging environment before rollout to ensure boot reliability is preserved.
• Track downstream device/vendor advisories for packaged U-Boot updates and rebuilds.

Evidence notes

All core claims are supported by the supplied NVD record and linked references: the vulnerability description names a stack-based buffer overflow in nfs_mount_reply, the affected version range is through 2019.07, the weakness is CWE-787, and the CVSS vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The supplied enrichment marks this as not listed in KEV.

Official resources