Persistent firmware implants via defeatable VUC authentication
Published Sep 2, 2026 · Updated Sep 2, 2026
Missing authentication in Phison PS3111-S11 Controller Firmware through SBFQT1.3 allows local users to access privileged ATA commands. The controller either omits the VUC lock or protects its challenge response with a reversible CRC-16 stream cipher, exposing memory and raw-flash reads and writes. High host privileges and direct ATA access are required; successful writes can install controller implants that persist across power cycles.
Summary
What happened
Missing authentication in Phison PS3111-S11 Controller Firmware through SBFQT1.3 allows local users to access privileged ATA commands. The controller either omits the VUC lock or protects its challenge response with a reversible CRC-16 stream cipher, exposing memory and raw-flash reads and writes. High host privileges and direct ATA access are required; successful writes can install controller implants that persist across power cycles.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-84696
- Published
- Sep 2, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 2, 2026
- Vendor
- Phison Electronics Corporation
- Product
- PS3111-S11 Controller Firmware
- Classifications
- CWE-306, T1542.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 2, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 2, 2026Record 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=SBFQT1.3
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Psychite Phison S11/PS3111 firmware toolsfunctional · demonstrated
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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