CVE-2020-24457
📋 TL;DR
A logic error in BIOS firmware for certain Intel Core processors allows physical attackers to potentially escalate privileges, cause denial of service, or disclose information. This affects systems with 8th, 9th, and 10th Generation Intel Core processors. Physical access to the device is required for exploitation.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel Core Processors (8th, 9th, 10th Generation)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with physical access could gain administrative control of the system, disable the device completely, or extract sensitive information from memory.
Likely Case
Physical attacker could bypass security controls to access restricted data or install persistent malware in firmware.
If Mitigated
With proper physical security controls, the risk is significantly reduced as exploitation requires direct hardware access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires physical access and BIOS/UEFI knowledge. No public exploit code has been disclosed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: BIOS updates provided by system manufacturers (OEMs)
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00347.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check with your system manufacturer for BIOS/UEFI firmware updates. 2. Download the appropriate BIOS update for your specific system model. 3. Follow manufacturer instructions to apply the BIOS update. 4. Reboot the system to complete the update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Physical Security Controls
allImplement strict physical access controls to prevent unauthorized physical access to vulnerable systems.
BIOS Password Protection
allEnable BIOS/UEFI password protection to restrict access to firmware settings.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict physical security controls and limit physical access to vulnerable systems
- Consider retiring or replacing systems that cannot be patched, especially for high-security environments
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check your system's processor generation and BIOS version. Systems with 8th, 9th, or 10th Gen Intel Core processors are potentially vulnerable.Check Version:
Windows: wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion | Linux: sudo dmidecode -s bios-version | macOS: system_profiler SPHardwareDataTypeVerify Fix Applied:
Verify that BIOS/UEFI firmware has been updated to a version that addresses CVE-2020-24457 according to your system manufacturer's advisory.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- BIOS/UEFI firmware modification events
- Physical security breach alerts
- Unauthorized physical access logs
Network Indicators:
- No network-based indicators as this is a physical access vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for BIOS/UEFI firmware update events or physical security access violations