CVE-2025-31356 in Trust Domain Extensions
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2026
Insufficient verification of data authenticity for some Intel(R) Trust Domain Extensions (Intel(R) TDX) within Ring 0: Hypervisor may allow an information disclosure. A system software adversary with a privileged user access combined with a high complexity attack may enable data exposure. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without any user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (low) and no effect on availability. Subsequent system impacts include reduced confidentiality (low), integrity (low), and no effect on availability.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2026
Intel Trust Domain Extensions represent a critical hardware-based security feature designed to create isolated execution environments within trusted computing platforms. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms that govern data integrity verification within Ring 0 hypervisor contexts where privileged system operations occur. The flaw manifests when the hypervisor fails to properly validate the authenticity of data being processed in the most privileged execution level, creating potential attack vectors for adversaries who already possess elevated privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate cryptographic verification processes that should occur during data transfer and processing within the Intel TDX environment. When a system software adversary achieves privileged user access, they can exploit this weakness to potentially extract confidential information from memory regions that should remain protected by the trust domain extensions. The attack complexity requirement indicates that while the adversary must already have elevated privileges, the vulnerability creates a pathway for information disclosure that bypasses normal security boundaries. This weakness operates at the hardware-software interface level where Intel TDX is designed to enforce strict isolation between different execution domains.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to create potential cascading effects throughout the system's security architecture. While the immediate confidentiality impact is rated as high, the integrity implications are assessed as low since the primary concern involves unauthorized data access rather than data corruption or manipulation. The availability aspect remains unaffected as the vulnerability does not introduce denial-of-service capabilities directly. However, the subsequent system impacts indicate that even with low severity consequences, the overall security posture of systems implementing Intel TDX becomes compromised due to reduced confidentiality and integrity protections.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-284 Access Control and CWE-310 Cryptographic Issues which specifically address improper access control mechanisms and cryptographic weaknesses respectively. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under TA0006 Credential Access and TA0005 Defense Evasion, as adversaries can potentially escalate privileges through information disclosure and then leverage the trust domain extensions for further attacks. Organizations implementing Intel TDX should prioritize updating their hypervisor firmware and system software to address these authentication gaps while maintaining strict access controls and monitoring for unusual data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The vulnerability represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where Intel TDX is deployed for confidential computing workloads, particularly in cloud infrastructure and data center environments where multiple tenants share physical hardware. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring solutions that track hypervisor-level activities and data flow patterns to detect potential exploitation of this authentication weakness. Regular security assessments should include verification of proper TDX implementation and validation of cryptographic controls within the privileged execution context to ensure that the intended security boundaries remain intact against sophisticated adversaries who may attempt to leverage this specific vulnerability for information extraction purposes.