Full Report
AMD security advisory (AV26-879)
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: AMD Processor Microcode and BIOS Security Flaws (AV26-879)
## CVE Details
*Note: The provided source article identifies a wide-scale security advisory but does not list specific individual CVE IDs. AMD advisories of this scale typically address multiple vulnerabilities related to SMM (System Management Mode) or SPI flash access.*
- **CVE ID:** Not explicitly listed in source (Refer to AMD-SB-7000 series for specific mappings)
- **CVSS Score:** Not provided (Typically High/Medium for firmware-level flaws)
- **CWE:** Not specified (Often associated with CWE-20: Improper Input Validation or CWE-264: Permissions/Privileges/Access Controls in firmware contexts)
## Affected Systems
### Products
A vast range of AMD CPUs across Consumer, Workstation, and Data Center segments:
- **EPYC™ Data Center:** 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen; Embedded 3000, 7002, 7003, 9003 series.
- **Ryzen™ Consumer:** 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000 Series (Desktop and Mobile).
- **Ryzen™ Specialty:** Threadripper™ 3000/5000 Series; Ryzen™ Embedded 5000, R1000, R2000, V1000, V2000, V3000.
- **Athlon™:** 3000 Series Desktop/Mobile.
- **Graphics/Accelerators:** Instinct™ MI300A, Radeon™ PRO V620.
### Versions
All versions are affected **except** the specific patched versions listed in the Remediation section below.
## Vulnerability Description
While the technical specifics of the individual flaws are not detailed in the summary alert, this advisory pertains to vulnerabilities within the AMD Platform Initialization (PI) firmware. These flaws generally reside in the microcode or BIOS-level management components, potentially allowing for unauthorized access to restricted memory or execution of code with elevated privileges at the hardware level.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Not exploited (No reports of active exploitation in the wild at the time of publication).
- **Complexity:** Medium to High (Usually requires local administrative access or a chain of other vulnerabilities).
- **Attack Vector:** Local (Most firmware-level attacks require the ability to run code on the target system).
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** High (Potential access to sensitive data in memory).
- **Integrity:** High (Potential for persistent firmware implants or rootkits).
- **Availability:** High (Potential for system instability or permanent denial of service).
## Remediation
### Patches
AMD recommends updating to the following minimum Platform Initialization (PI) versions or higher:
| Product Category | Fixed PI Version |
| :--- | :--- |
| **2nd Gen EPYC** | RomePI 1.0.0.H |
| **3rd Gen EPYC** | MilanPI 1.0.0.C |
| **4th Gen EPYC** | GenoaPI 1.0.0.8 |
| **Ryzen 3000/4000/5000 Desktop** | ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.B |
| **Ryzen 7000 Series** | ComboAM5 1.0.0.7b |
| **Ryzen 6000/7035 Mobile** | RembrandtPI-FP7 1.0.0.9b |
| **Ryzen 7040 Mobile** | PhoenixPI-FP8-FP7 1.0.0.2 |
| **Threadripper 3000/5000 PRO** | ChagallWSPI-sWRX8 1.0.0.7 |
| **Ryzen Embedded V3000** | EmbeddedPI-FP7r2 1.0.0.8 |
*Note: For Radeon PRO V620, users are advised to contact their AMD Customer Engineering representative.*
### Workarounds
No specific software-based workarounds are available. Mitigation requires a BIOS/UEFI update from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or motherboard vendor.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Extremely difficult to detect at the OS level due to the low-level nature of firmware vulnerabilities.
- **Detection methods:** Audit system BIOS/UEFI versions against the recommended "fixed" versions listed above using tools like `msinfo32` (Windows) or `dmidecode` (Linux).
## References
- **AMD Security Portal:** hxxps[://]www[.]amd[.]com/en/resources/product-security[.]html
- **Cyber Centre Alert:** hxxps[://]www[.]cyber[.]gc[.]ca/en/alerts-advisories/amd-security-advisory-av26-879