CVE-2020-12912

A potential vulnerability in the AMD extension to Linux hwmon service may allow an attacker to use the Linux-based Running Average Power Limit (RAPL) interface to show various side channel attacks. In line with industry partners, AMD has updated the RAPL interface to require privileged access.

Weakness

The product provides an Applications Programming Interface (API) or similar interface for interaction with external actors, but the interface includes a dangerous method or function that is not properly restricted.

Affected Software

Extended Description

This weakness can lead to a wide variety of resultant weaknesses, depending on the behavior of the exposed method. It can apply to any number of technologies and approaches, such as ActiveX controls, Java functions, IOCTLs, and so on. The exposure can occur in a few different ways:

Potential Mitigations

• Identify all exposed functionality. Explicitly list all functionality that must be exposed to some user or set of users. Identify which functionality may be:

• Ensure that the implemented code follows these expectations. This includes setting the appropriate access modifiers where applicable (public, private, protected, etc.) or not marking ActiveX controls safe-for-scripting.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/500.html

References

• https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/product-security
• https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/product-security