Full Report
Dozens of Gigabyte motherboard models run on UEFI firmware vulnerable to security issues that allow planting bootkit malware that is invisible to the operating system and can survive reinstalls. [...]
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Gigabyte Motherboards Vulnerable to UEFI Malware Bypassing Secure Boot
## CVE Details
- CVE ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text, but four related vulnerabilities are mentioned stemming from AMI reference code. A specific CVE mapping is unavailable from this summary.
- CVSS Score: N/A
- CWE: N/A
## Affected Systems
- Products: Gigabyte Motherboards (using AMI reference code firmware)
- Versions: Unspecified, but many affected devices have reached end-of-life status, implying older firmware versions.
- Configurations: Systems using UEFI with Secure Boot enabled, as the flaw allows malware to bypass this protection.
## Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability stems from four security issues originally present in the **AMI reference code** used in the firmware of various Gigabyte motherboards. These flaws allow an attacker to potentially introduce and execute **UEFI malware**, effectively **bypassing the Secure Boot** mechanism intended to prevent unauthorized firmware loading. The underlying issues were reportedly disclosed internally by AMI to paid customers under NDA previously.
## Exploitation
- Status: The text implies the vulnerabilities exist and are serious, but does not explicitly state if they are currently being exploited in the wild.
- Complexity: Not specified, but bypassing Secure Boot typically suggests complex, low-level access is required.
- Attack Vector: Firmware/System level (likely Local or Network via firmware update mechanisms, though not detailed).
## Impact
- Confidentiality: High (UEFI compromise allows persistent, low-level access)
- Integrity: High (Modification of critical system firmware)
- Availability: High (Potential for system rendering unusable or persistent compromise)
## Remediation
### Patches
- The text suggests that Gigabyte has **most likely not released any fixes** for these specific issues.
- Users should monitor for firmware updates from Gigabyte, although many affected devices may be End-of-Life (EOL) and therefore **likely remain vulnerable indefinitely**.
### Workarounds
- No specific workarounds are mentioned in the provided text.
- General advice: Users in critical environments should assess their risk using the Binarly Risk Hunt scanner tool, which offers free detection for the four vulnerabilities.
## Detection
- Indicators of Compromise (IoCs): Not explicitly listed (e.g., specific bad hashes or registry keys).
- Detection methods and tools: The **Binarly Risk Hunt scanner tool** is cited as providing free detection capabilities for these four specific vulnerabilities.
## References
- Vendor advisories: None explicitly linked or detailed beyond the mention of AMI's prior silent disclosure to customers.
- Relevant links - defanged:
- Risk Hunt scanner tool: risk:binarly:io/