Secure Boot bypass via stack buffer overflow
Published Apr 9, 2024 · Updated May 3, 2025
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 allows attackers to bypass Secure Boot via an adjacent vector. Microsoft identifies Secure Boot as the affected component and a stack overwrite as the fault, but has not disclosed the vulnerable routine or untrusted input. Exploitation requires user interaction, adjacent access, and high-complexity conditions; the bypass defeats boot-chain trust enforcement.
Summary
What happened
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 allows attackers to bypass Secure Boot via an adjacent vector. Microsoft identifies Secure Boot as the affected component and a stack overwrite as the fault, but has not disclosed the vulnerable routine or untrusted input. Exploitation requires user interaction, adjacent access, and high-complexity conditions; the bypass defeats boot-chain trust enforcement.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-20688
- Published
- Apr 9, 2024
- Updated
- May 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
- Classifications
- CWE-121
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 9, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 3, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.24821
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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