CVE-2024-52878
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a buffer over-read vulnerability in InsydeH2O UEFI firmware's VariableRuntimeDxe driver. Attackers could exploit this to read sensitive memory contents, potentially leading to information disclosure or system compromise. Systems using affected InsydeH2O firmware versions are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- InsydeH2O UEFI firmware
📦 What is this software?
Insydeh2o by Insyde
Insydeh2o by Insyde
Insydeh2o by Insyde
Insydeh2o by Insyde
Insydeh2o by Insyde
Insydeh2o by Insyde
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could read sensitive memory contents, potentially extracting encryption keys, credentials, or other protected data, leading to complete system compromise.
Likely Case
Information disclosure through memory read, potentially exposing sensitive firmware variables or system state information.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and SMM protections, exploitation would be limited to reading non-sensitive memory regions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to call UEFI runtime services or SMM functions, typically requiring some level of system access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel 5.2: 05.29.50+, kernel 5.3: 05.38.50+, kernel 5.4: 05.46.50+, kernel 5.5: 05.54.50+, kernel 5.6: 05.61.50+, kernel 5.7: 05.70.50+
Vendor Advisory: https://www.insyde.com/security-pledge/sa-2024016/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact your device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Download appropriate firmware update from manufacturer. 3. Apply firmware update following manufacturer instructions. 4. Reboot system to complete update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict SMM access
allImplement SMM protection mechanisms to limit access to sensitive SMM functions.
Enable UEFI Secure Boot
allSecure Boot can help prevent unauthorized code execution that might exploit this vulnerability.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized users from executing code on affected systems
- Monitor for unusual firmware access patterns or SMM-related activities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check firmware version in UEFI/BIOS settings or using manufacturer-specific tools. Compare against affected version ranges.Check Version:
Manufacturer-specific commands vary. Common methods: 'dmidecode -t bios' on Linux, 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' on Windows, or check UEFI settings.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to patched version in UEFI/BIOS settings.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual firmware access patterns
- SMM function calls from non-privileged contexts
- Failed firmware update attempts
Network Indicators:
- Not network exploitable - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for firmware update events, SMM access logs, or unauthorized BIOS/UEFI configuration changes