CVE-2025-50897
📋 TL;DR
A vulnerability in the RISC-V BOOMv1.2 processor implementation causes valid memory store operations to incorrectly trigger access faults, potentially leading to kernel panics or denial of service. This affects systems using the SonicBOOM 1.2 processor implementation in SV39 virtual memory mode. The issue stems from flawed memory management unit logic during address translation.
💻 Affected Systems
- riscv-boom SonicBOOM processor implementation
📦 What is this software?
Boomv by Boom Core
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Persistent denial of service through repeated kernel panics, potentially requiring physical intervention to restore system functionality.
Likely Case
Intermittent system crashes or instability during memory-intensive operations, leading to service disruption.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact with occasional correctable errors if monitoring and recovery mechanisms are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof of concept available on GitHub demonstrates the fault triggering. Exploitation requires understanding of RISC-V memory management and ability to execute store instructions in kernel memory context.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check riscv-boom repository for updated version
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/riscv-boom/riscv-boom
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Monitor riscv-boom GitHub repository for patches. 2. Update processor implementation to patched version. 3. Recompile and redeploy affected systems. 4. Verify fix through testing store operations in SV39 mode.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid SV39 write operations in kernel memory
allModify software to minimize store operations in kernel memory regions when using SV39 mode
Implement fault recovery mechanisms
allAdd exception handlers to recover from Store/AMO access faults without crashing
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected systems from critical production workloads
- Implement comprehensive monitoring for access fault patterns and system instability
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test store operations in SV39 mode with write permissions to kernel memory and monitor for incorrect access faultsCheck Version:
Check processor implementation version in system documentation or configuration filesVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, repeat the same store operations and verify no incorrect access faults occur📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected Store/AMO access faults in kernel logs
- Increased page fault exceptions
- Kernel panic messages related to memory access
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local processor vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for 'access fault', 'page fault', or 'kernel panic' events in system logs from BOOMv1.2 systems