Secure Boot bypass via stack-based buffer overflow
Published Apr 9, 2024 · Updated May 3, 2025
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 allows adjacent attackers to bypass Secure Boot. Microsoft identifies the Secure Boot implementation and weakness class but has not published the affected routine, malformed field, or incorrect memory operation. Exploitation requires an adjacent attack path, user interaction, and high-complexity conditions; successful abuse permits untrusted boot code to cross the startup trust boundary.
Summary
What happened
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 allows adjacent attackers to bypass Secure Boot. Microsoft identifies the Secure Boot implementation and weakness class but has not published the affected routine, malformed field, or incorrect memory operation. Exploitation requires an adjacent attack path, user interaction, and high-complexity conditions; successful abuse permits untrusted boot code to cross the startup trust boundary.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-20689
- Published
- Apr 9, 2024
- Updated
- May 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
- Classifications
- CWE-121, T1542.003
- 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
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
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
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo