2nd Gen AMD EPYC™ Processors: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
CVE-2023-20577 is a high-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in 2nd Gen AMD EPYC™ Processors from AMD, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of 2nd Gen AMD EPYC™ Processors you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 9 further products are omitted here. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (amd.com).
Official description
A heap overflow in SMM module may allow an attacker with access to a second vulnerability that enables writing to SPI flash, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the stack.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Implement and perform bounds checking on input.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in 2nd Gen AMD EPYC™ Processors
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
Recent Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities
- 8.3 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
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