CVE-2025-6573 in Graphics DDK
Summary
by MITRE • 08/09/2025
Kernel software installed and running inside an untrusted/rich execution environment (REE) could leak information from the trusted execution environment (TEE).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in kernel software that operates within untrusted rich execution environments while potentially accessing or interacting with trusted execution environments. The issue stems from insufficient isolation mechanisms between different execution contexts, creating potential pathways for information leakage from the more secure TEE to the less secure REE. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they undermine the fundamental security assumptions of trusted execution environments which are designed to protect sensitive data and operations from compromise. The flaw exists at the kernel level where the boundary between secure and non-secure execution contexts is not properly maintained, allowing malicious or compromised code in the REE to potentially extract confidential information from the TEE.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves kernel-level mechanisms that fail to properly enforce security boundaries between execution environments. When kernel software executes within an untrusted environment, it may inadvertently expose internal state information, memory contents, or operational details that should remain isolated within the TEE. This can occur through various mechanisms including improper memory management, insecure inter-process communication channels, or insufficient validation of system calls originating from the REE. The vulnerability may manifest through side-channel attacks, information disclosure via system interfaces, or through improper handling of shared resources between the two execution environments. According to CWE standards, this relates to CWE-284: Improper Access Control and CWE-248: Uncaught Exception, as it involves both inadequate access controls and potential exception handling failures that lead to information exposure.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-6573 is severe and multifaceted across multiple security domains. Organizations relying on TEE technologies for protecting sensitive operations, cryptographic keys, or confidential data processing face significant risk of data compromise. The vulnerability could enable attackers to extract encryption keys, sensitive application data, or operational parameters that should remain protected within the secure execution environment. This information leakage could facilitate more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation, credential theft, or complete compromise of security-sensitive applications. The impact extends beyond immediate data exposure to potentially undermining the entire security architecture that depends on TEE isolation properties. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1059.001: Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566: Phishing, as it enables attackers to leverage compromised REE code to extract information from TEE environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require comprehensive approaches addressing both software and hardware security controls. Immediate remediation should focus on strengthening kernel-level isolation mechanisms and implementing proper access controls between execution environments. Organizations must ensure that kernel software properly validates all inputs and enforces strict boundaries between TEE and REE contexts. This includes implementing proper memory protection mechanisms, secure inter-environment communication protocols, and thorough input validation for all system calls. Hardware-based security features such as memory encryption, secure boot mechanisms, and processor-level isolation controls should be enabled and properly configured. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of TEE implementations are essential to identify potential boundary violations. Additionally, system administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate information leakage attempts, and maintain up-to-date security patches for all kernel components that interface with TEE environments.