CVE-2023-20521

Data exposure or service interruption via SPI race

Published Nov 14, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

A TOCTOU race in the ASP Bootloader on affected AMD processors allows physically proximate attackers to expose data or interrupt service. After verifying an SPI ROM record in memory, the bootloader later consumes mutable ROM content without ensuring that it still matches the checked content. Physical access is required to alter the record in that interval, enabling confidentiality loss or a boot-time denial of service.

CVSS severity3.3
Low
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A TOCTOU race in the ASP Bootloader on affected AMD processors allows physically proximate attackers to expose data or interrupt service. After verifying an SPI ROM record in memory, the bootloader later consumes mutable ROM content without ensuring that it still matches the checked content. Physical access is required to alter the record in that interval, enabling confidentiality loss or a boot-time denial of service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20521
Published
Nov 14, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
AMD
Product
Athlon 3000 Series Mobile Processors with Radeon Graphics (Pollock)
Classifications
CWE-367, T1495
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=various

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

AMD · Athlon 3000 Series Mobile Processors with Radeon Graphics (Pollock)version=various
AMD · 2nd Gen AMD EPYC Processorsversion=various
AMD · AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 Seriesversion=various
AMD · AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Seriesversion=various
AMD · Athlon 3000 Series Desktop Processors with Radeon Graphics (Picasso)version=various
AMD · AMD Ryzen Embedded R1000 Seriesversion=various
AMD · 3rd Gen AMD EPYC Processorsversion=various
AMD · Ryzen Threadripper 2000 Series Processorsversion=various
AMD · AMD EPYC Embedded 7002 Series Processorsversion=various
AMD · 1st Gen AMD EPYC Processorsversion=various
AMD · Athlon 3000 Series Mobile Processors with Radeon Graphics (Dali/Dali FP5)version=various
AMD · AMD EPYC Embedded 7003 Series Processorsversion=various
AMD · Ryzen 3000 Series Mobile Processors with Radeon Graphics (Picasso)version=various
AMD · AMD EPYC Embedded 3000 Series Processorsversion=various

Published CVSS scores

5.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
3.3Advanced Micro Devices Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1495Firmware Corruption

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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