CVE-2020-12962
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the AMD Graphics Driver for Windows allows attackers to escalate privileges through the Escape call interface. It affects Windows systems with vulnerable AMD graphics drivers, potentially enabling local attackers to gain SYSTEM-level access.
💻 Affected Systems
- AMD Graphics Driver for Windows
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker gains SYSTEM privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Local user or malware escalates privileges to install additional malware, modify system settings, or bypass security controls.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper privilege separation exists and users operate with minimal privileges.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and some technical knowledge of driver interfaces. No public exploit code available as per advisory.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to AMD driver updates released after advisory date (July 2020)
Vendor Advisory: https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/product-security/bulletin/amd-sb-1000
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit AMD driver download page. 2. Download latest graphics driver for your hardware. 3. Run installer. 4. Restart system when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local access
allLimit physical and remote local access to vulnerable systems
Use standard user accounts
windowsOperate with non-administrative accounts to limit privilege escalation impact
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized local access
- Monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts using security tools
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AMD driver version in Device Manager > Display adapters > Properties > Driver tabCheck Version:
wmic path win32_pnpsigneddriver where "DeviceName like '%AMD%'" get DeviceName, DriverVersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify driver version matches or exceeds patched version from AMD advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual driver access attempts
- Privilege escalation events in Windows Security logs
- AMD driver process anomalies
Network Indicators:
- Not network exploitable - local only vulnerability
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName LIKE '%amd%' AND NewProcessName='cmd.exe' OR 'powershell.exe'