Executive brief
A security flaw in the AMD AGESA bootloader firmware could allow a local user to tamper with DDR5 memory modules. By exploiting an unprotected power management interface, an attacker could permanently disable the memory hardware or corrupt data. This results in a permanent denial of service, requiring physical hardware replacement or repair to restore the system.
Technical details
The AMD AGESA Bootloader Firmware fails to properly secure the Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) interface on DDR5 memory modules due to incorrect default permissions (CWE-276). A local attacker with low privileges can interact with this unprotected interface to modify voltage or power settings. This can be leveraged to cause a permanent denial of service (PDoS) by bricking the memory module or to compromise the integrity of data stored in memory. The vulnerability is addressed in updated AGESA versions provided by AMD to motherboard manufacturers.
Affected products
- AMD AGESA Bootloader Firmware
Timeline
- 2026-05-15: advisory: AMD published security bulletin AMD-SB-4017
- 2026-05-15: disclosed: CVE-2025-48516 published to the NVD dataset