CVE-2020-12985
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in AMD Graphics Driver for Windows 10 allows attackers to exploit insufficient pointer validation to escalate privileges or cause denial of service. It affects Windows 10 systems with vulnerable AMD graphics drivers installed. Attackers could gain SYSTEM-level access on compromised systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- AMD Graphics Driver
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full SYSTEM privilege escalation allowing complete system compromise, installation of persistent malware, credential theft, and lateral movement across networks.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation from user to SYSTEM privileges, enabling malware persistence, credential dumping, and bypassing security controls.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper endpoint protection, application control, and least privilege principles in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and user privileges to exploit. No public exploit code available as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Driver version 20.7.1 or later (specific version in AMD advisory)
Vendor Advisory: https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/product-security/bulletin/amd-sb-1000
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit AMD Driver Support page. 2. Download latest graphics driver for your hardware. 3. Run installer with administrative privileges. 4. Restart system when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local user privileges
windowsImplement least privilege principle to limit impact of successful exploitation
Enable exploit protection
windowsUse Windows Defender Exploit Guard to mitigate exploitation attempts
Set-ProcessMitigation -System -Enable DEP,ASLR,CFG
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application control to block unauthorized driver modifications
- Segment networks to limit lateral movement from compromised systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AMD driver version in Device Manager > Display adapters > AMD device > Driver tabCheck Version:
wmic path win32_pnpsigneddriver where "devicename like '%AMD%'" get devicename, driverversionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify driver version is 20.7.1 or newer after update📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual driver loading events
- Privilege escalation attempts in security logs
- Suspicious process creation from graphics-related executables
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from graphics driver processes
- Lateral movement attempts following local compromise
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND (NewProcessName="*amd*" OR NewProcessName="*ati*") AND ParentProcessName="explorer.exe"