Ubuntu 24.10: USN-7077-1 critical: amd64-microcode privilege escalation

ubuntu

October 21, 2024

AMD processors may allow a privileged local attacker to further escalate their privileged and execute arbitrary code within the processor's firmware layer.

Summary

AMD processors may allow a privileged local attacker to further escalate their

privileged and execute arbitrary code within the processor's firmware layer.

Software Description:

- amd64-microcode: Platform firmware and microcode for AMD CPUs and SoCs

Details:

Enrique Nissim and Krzysztof Okupski discovered that some AMD processors

did not properly restrict access to the System Management Mode (SMM)

configuration when the SMM Lock was enabled. A privileged local attacker

could possibly use this issue to further escalate their privileges and

execute arbitrary code within the processor's firmware layer.

Topics Covered

security advisory code execution privilege escalation Ubuntu local attack amd64-microcode

Update Instructions

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following
package versions:

Ubuntu 24.10
  amd64-microcode                 3.20240116.2+nmu1ubuntu1.1

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
  amd64-microcode                 3.20231019.1ubuntu2.1

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
  amd64-microcode                 3.20191218.1ubuntu2.3

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
  amd64-microcode                 3.20191218.1ubuntu1.3

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
  amd64-microcode                 3.20191021.1+really3.20181128.1~ubuntu0.18.04.1+esm3
                                  Available with Ubuntu Pro

Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
  amd64-microcode                 3.20191021.1+really3.20180524.1~ubuntu0.16.04.2+esm3
                                  Available with Ubuntu Pro

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make
all the necessary changes.