CVE-2023-20593: A use-after-free in AMD Zen2 Processors
AMD Ryzen, Gen AMD EPYC Processors could allow a local authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by a use-after-free flaw in the vzeroupper instruction. By conducting a cache timing attack using a specially crafted application, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive data used by other processes, such as passwords and encryption keys, at a rate of 30KB/sec from each CPU core.
Other sources
An issue in “Zen 2” CPUs, under specific microarchitectural circumstances, may allow an attacker to potentially access sensitive information.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/amd64-microcodeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.20230719.1Fixed in 3.20230719.1~deb12u1Fixed in 3.20230719.1~deb11u1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/amd64-microcodeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.20240820.1~deb11u1Fixed in 3.20250311.1~deb11u1Fixed in 3.20240820.1~deb12u1Fixed in 3.20230719.1~deb12u1Fixed in 3.20250311.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1 - Configuration
Install/use msr-tools and set the chicken bit on all cores to enable the software workaround: wrmsr -a 0xc0011029 $(($(rdmsr -c 0xc0011029) | (1<<9))). This may cause a performance cost.
AMD Zen 2 CPUs MSR 0xc0011029, bit 9 (chicken bit) = enabled
Event History
Parent advisories
This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.
Peer vulnerabilities
Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.
- CVE-2023-4369
- CVE-2023-4211
- CVE-2023-4128
- CVE-2023-4147
- CVE-2023-3390
- CVE-2023-32804
- CVE-2022-40982
- CVE-2023-2312
- CVE-2023-4349
- CVE-2023-4350
- CVE-2023-4351
- CVE-2023-4352
- CVE-2023-4353
- CVE-2023-4354
- CVE-2023-4355
- CVE-2023-4356
- CVE-2023-4357
- CVE-2023-4358
- CVE-2023-4359
- CVE-2023-4360
- CVE-2023-4361
- CVE-2023-4362
- CVE-2023-4363
- CVE-2023-4364
- CVE-2023-4365
- CVE-2023-4366
- CVE-2023-4367
- CVE-2023-4368
- CVE-2023-21264
- CVE-2020-29374
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2023-20593?
CVE-2023-20593 has been classified with a high severity due to its potential for exposing sensitive information.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20593?
To mitigate CVE-2023-20593, users should update to the latest firmware and microcode provided by AMD.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2023-20593?
CVE-2023-20593 primarily affects AMD Ryzen and EPYC processors, especially those under specific microarchitectural conditions.
Can CVE-2023-20593 be exploited remotely?
No, CVE-2023-20593 requires local authenticated access to exploit the vulnerability.
What types of information could be affected by CVE-2023-20593?
CVE-2023-20593 could potentially allow an attacker to access sensitive data which may include cryptographic keys or other personal information.