AMD Vulnerability – Risks Administrator Access and Microcode Injection, here is a quick look at what to know.

A critical security vulnerability has been discovered in AMD’s Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) technology. This flaw, identified as CVE-2024-56161, allows attackers with local administrator privileges to inject malicious microcode into the CPU. The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 7.2, indicating its high severity.

Discovery and Impact

Google security researchers discovered the vulnerability and reported it to AMD on September 25, 2024. The flaw arises from improper signature verification in the AMD CPU ROM microcode patch loader. This means that an attacker with local administrator access can load malicious microcode, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of a confidential guest running under AMD SEV-SNP.

SEV and SNP Technologies

SEV is a security feature that uses a unique key per virtual machine to isolate virtual machines (VMs) and the hypervisor from one another. SNP, or Secure Nested Paging, adds memory integrity protections to create an isolated execution environment and protect against hypervisor-based attacks. SEV-SNP introduces additional security enhancements designed to support various VM use models and offer stronger protection against side-channel attacks.

Response and Mitigation

AMD has released patches to address the vulnerability. The company has also provided updates to OEM partners to ensure that the necessary fixes are implemented. Users are advised to update their system BIOS and reboot their platforms to enable SEV-SNP attestation and verify the mitigation. AMD has coordinated with Google to delay the public disclosure of the vulnerability to allow time for the fix to propagate through the supply chain.

Industry Reactions

Industry experts have praised AMD’s swift response to the vulnerability. However, some have noted that the deep supply chain and the need for OEMs to implement the fixes could cause delays in adoption. Users are encouraged to focus on updating their UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) to ensure that the microcode problem does not persist.

Conclusion

The discovery of CVE-2024-56161 highlights the importance of robust security measures in modern computing environments. AMD’s proactive approach to addressing the vulnerability demonstrates its commitment to protecting its users. As the industry continues to evolve, it is crucial for companies to remain vigilant and responsive to emerging threats.

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