CVE-2020-12901 in Graphics Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 11/17/2021
Arbitrary Free After Use in AMD Graphics Driver for Windows 10 may lead to KASLR bypass or information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-12901 represents a critical memory management flaw within the AMD Graphics Driver for Windows 10 operating systems. This arbitrary free after use vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes within the graphics driver component, specifically affecting the kernel-mode driver code that manages GPU resources and memory operations. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate memory pointers and potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, creating a significant security risk for systems running affected AMD graphics drivers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a race condition or improper validation of memory handles within the driver's memory management subsystem. When the graphics driver processes certain GPU-related operations, it may free memory blocks that are subsequently accessed or reused by other processes or driver components. This creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate the freed memory regions and potentially overwrite critical data structures or function pointers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited to bypass Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization, a critical operating system security feature designed to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities by randomizing memory layout addresses.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise environments and individual users alike. The ability to bypass KASLR means that attackers can more easily determine the memory addresses of kernel functions and data structures, significantly reducing the effectiveness of modern exploit mitigation techniques. Information disclosure capabilities within the vulnerability allow threat actors to extract sensitive kernel memory contents, potentially revealing encryption keys, credential storage locations, or other confidential system information. The attack surface extends across various Windows 10 configurations and AMD GPU models, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability as a type of heap corruption issue that aligns with CWE-415, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation patterns. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1059, covering 'Command and Scripting Interpreter' as attackers may leverage the bypassed security mechanisms to execute malicious payloads. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest AMD graphics driver versions, disabling unnecessary GPU features, and implementing runtime monitoring to detect anomalous memory access patterns. System administrators should also consider applying the Windows security patches and kernel isolation features to reduce the attack surface and prevent successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in kernel-mode drivers and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of graphics and hardware components in enterprise environments.