A Reddit user going by Reddit_2049 has demonstrated using Anthropic's Claude Code to bypass BIOS security on an HP 15-dw1036ne laptop, defeating RSA-2048 signature verification and unlocking 55 hidden firmware settings.
The user purchased the secondhand HP laptop with a BIOS lock that prevented access to firmware settings. Rather than resorting to traditional hardware hacks like CMOS battery removal, they turned to Claude Code to reverse-engineer and patch the firmware.
Three patches were involved. First, Claude Code identified a bypass for the RSA-2048 DXE-FV signature check that HP and manufacturing partner Compal use to sign the compressed DXE firmware volume with a detached RSA-2048 signature. Second, it unlocked 55 hidden setup fields that HP ships in its BIOS but keeps inaccessible to end users. Third, it revealed advanced BIOS configuration tabs that are normally suppressed.
The result is a fully open BIOS on the HP laptop, with access to all manufacturer-level settings. A Python script automating the entire process on this specific laptop model was shared at the bottom of the Reddit post, covering backup, patching, and final unlock.
Tom's Hardware notes that the lock in question appears to be a consumer-tier BIOS restriction rather than the more stringent commercial laptop locks that tie BIOS credentials to the system TPM. Consumer laptop BIOS locks, while persistent across CMOS resets, are generally less hardened than their enterprise counterparts.
The demonstration highlights a practical security question: if an AI coding assistant can reverse-engineer firmware signing schemes in a single session, the barrier to bypassing embedded device security is dropping fast. The same capability that lets Claude Code audit codebases and find bugs applies directly to binary firmware analysis.
Sources
- AI enthusiast unlocks and mods BIOS with Claude Code - Tom's Hardware
- Claude Code unlocked my laptop's BIOS - r/ClaudeAI
