CVE-2020-12904 in Graphics Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 11/17/2021
Out of Bounds Read in AMD Graphics Driver for Windows 10 in Escape 0x3004203 may lead to arbitrary information disclosure.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2020-12904 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the AMD Graphics Driver for Windows 10 operating system. This issue manifests specifically during the execution of Escape function 0x3004203, which is part of the driver's interface for handling graphics-related operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and boundary checking within the driver's memory management routines, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious code to access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This particular escape function is designed to facilitate communication between user-space applications and kernel-level graphics driver components, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the driver's failure to properly validate the size and content of data structures passed to the 0x3004203 escape function. When an application submits malformed input parameters to this interface, the driver processes these inputs without adequate bounds checking, resulting in memory access violations that can be leveraged to read arbitrary memory locations. This out-of-bounds read condition occurs at the kernel level within the graphics driver's memory management subsystem, where the driver fails to validate the length of user-supplied data structures before attempting to access them. The flaw is classified under CWE-129 as an "Improper Validation of Array Index" and also aligns with CWE-787 which describes "Out-of-bounds Write or Read of a Structured Buffer" in the context of driver-level memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can lead to arbitrary information disclosure, potentially exposing sensitive kernel memory contents including encryption keys, credential information, or other confidential data. Attackers can exploit this condition to gain insights into the system's memory layout, potentially enabling further exploitation techniques such as information leakage for bypassing exploit mitigations or developing more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability affects Windows 10 systems running AMD graphics drivers, with the attack surface extending to any application that utilizes the affected graphics driver interface. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by both local and remote attackers depending on the application context and system configuration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-12904 should focus on immediate driver updates from AMD, which address the underlying validation issues in the escape function implementation. System administrators should prioritize patching all affected Windows 10 systems with the latest AMD graphics driver releases that contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, implementing runtime protections such as kernel address space layout randomization and exploit protection mechanisms can help reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation in kernel-mode drivers and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and T1059 which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter" in the context of driver-level vulnerabilities that can be leveraged for information disclosure attacks. Organizations should also consider monitoring for unusual graphics driver activity and implementing least-privilege access controls for graphics-related applications to minimize potential impact from exploitation attempts.