CVE-2024-42444
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-42444 is a TOCTOU race condition vulnerability in AMI APTIOV BIOS that allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected devices. This affects systems with vulnerable BIOS firmware, potentially compromising system integrity and security.
💻 Affected Systems
- AMI APTIOV BIOS
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with persistent malware installation below the operating system level, potentially enabling firmware-level persistence and bypassing security controls.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing attackers to gain elevated system access, install malware, or manipulate system configurations.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper access controls and monitoring, though firmware-level vulnerabilities remain concerning for high-security environments.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and precise timing to exploit the race condition; no public exploit code available as of the advisory date.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to AMI security advisory for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://go.ami.com/hubfs/Security%20Advisories/2025/AMI-SA-2025001.pdf
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact your device manufacturer for BIOS/UEFI firmware updates. 2. Download the updated BIOS firmware from manufacturer's support site. 3. Follow manufacturer's instructions to flash the BIOS. 4. Verify the update completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Local Access
allLimit physical and remote desktop access to trusted users only to reduce attack surface.
Enable Secure Boot
allConfigure Secure Boot in BIOS settings to help prevent unauthorized code execution at boot time.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to vulnerable systems.
- Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious local privilege escalation attempts.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check BIOS version in system information (e.g., run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' on Windows or 'dmidecode -t bios' on Linux) and compare with manufacturer's patched versions.Check Version:
Windows: wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion | Linux: dmidecode -t bios | grep VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify BIOS version after update matches the patched version specified by the manufacturer.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual BIOS/UEFI access attempts in system logs
- Failed or unexpected BIOS update attempts
- Privilege escalation events from local users
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
EventID=6005 (Event log service started) combined with suspicious local user activity or EventID=4672 (Special privileges assigned to new logon) from local sessions