CVE-2025-20005 in Reference Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2026
Improper buffer restrictions in some UEFI firmware for some Intel(R) reference platforms may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable data manipulation. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present without special internal knowledge and requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (low) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2026
This vulnerability resides within the UEFI firmware implementation of certain Intel reference platforms, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that operates at the system firmware level. The issue stems from inadequate buffer management controls within the firmware code, specifically affecting how memory boundaries are enforced during firmware operations. Buffer overflows or underflows in UEFI firmware can provide attackers with unprecedented access to system-level operations, as UEFI firmware runs with the highest privilege level and has direct access to hardware components. The vulnerability's classification as an improper buffer restriction aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions that occur when a program writes data to a buffer beyond its allocated bounds. This weakness is particularly dangerous in firmware contexts because traditional software-based protections such as stack canaries or address space layout randomization are often ineffective or absent in firmware environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe given its potential for privilege escalation from a privileged user context to system-level access. While the attack requires local access and high complexity, the combination of these factors creates a dangerous scenario where an attacker with minimal user-level access could potentially gain root privileges. The attack vector typically involves exploiting the buffer restriction flaw during firmware initialization or update processes, where memory corruption could allow code execution with elevated privileges. This scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and specifically addresses situations where adversaries leverage system weaknesses to gain higher-level access. The requirement for special internal knowledge suggests that the exploit may involve specific timing conditions or knowledge of memory layouts that are not readily apparent to casual attackers, yet still represents a significant security gap.
The integrity impact of this vulnerability is rated as high, indicating that successful exploitation could lead to complete data manipulation within the system. This affects not just user data but potentially firmware integrity, boot processes, and the overall security posture of the platform. The confidentiality impact is rated as none, suggesting that the primary concern is not data exfiltration but rather unauthorized system control and modification. The availability impact is rated as low, indicating that while the system could potentially be destabilized, complete denial of service is not the primary concern. However, the potential for system compromise extends beyond simple availability issues to include persistent backdoor establishment and long-term unauthorized access. The vulnerability's impact on system confidentiality, integrity, and availability ultimately results in cascading effects that can compromise the entire platform security model, as firmware-level attacks can bypass traditional operating system security controls and persist across system reboots. The lack of user interaction requirements makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it can be exploited silently without any indication to system administrators or users, potentially allowing for extended periods of unauthorized access and data manipulation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on firmware updates from Intel and platform vendors, as these vulnerabilities typically require firmware-level patches to address the underlying buffer management issues. System administrators should implement strict access controls and monitor for unusual firmware behavior, while also considering hardware-based security features such as Intel's Platform Trust Technology and Secure Boot implementations. Regular firmware audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify potential buffer-related issues in other firmware components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices in firmware development and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of system-level components that operate outside traditional software security boundaries.