DMA Device Enabled Too Early in Boot Phase

Opis

The product enables a Direct Memory Access (DMA) capable device before the security configuration settings are established, which allows an attacker to extract data from or gain privileges on the product.

DMA is included in a number of devices because it allows data transfer between the computer and the connected device, using direct hardware access to read or write directly to main memory without any OS interaction. An attacker could exploit this to access secrets. Several virtualization-based mitigations have been introduced to thwart DMA attacks. These are usually configured/setup during boot time. However, certain IPs that are powered up before boot is complete (known as early boot IPs) may be DMA capable. Such IPs, if not trusted, could launch DMA attacks and gain access to assets that should otherwise be protected.

Skutki

• Access Control

  Bypass Protection Mechanism; Modify Memory

  DMA devices have direct write access to main memory and due to time of attack will be able to bypass OS or Bootloader access control.

Zapobieganie

• Architecture and Design

  Utilize an IOMMU to orchestrate IO access from the start of the boot process.

Słabość nadrzędna

• CWE-696 Incorrect Behavior Order

Kiedy powstaje

• Architecture and Design

Dotyczy

Not Language-Specific, System on Chip

Źródła

1. DMA attack — 2019
2. Thunderclap: Exploring Vulnerabilities in Operating System IOMMU Protection via DMA from Untrustworthy Peripherals — A. Theodore Markettos, Colin Rothwell, Brett F. Gutstein, Allison Pearce, Peter G. Neumann, Simon W. Moore, Robert N. M. Watson, 2019
3. FireWire all your memory are belong to us — Maximillian Dornseif, Michael Becher, Christian N. Klein, 2005
4. Integrating DMA attacks in exploitation frameworks — Rory Breuk, Albert Spruyt, Adam Boileau, 2012
5. Owned by an iPod — Maximillian Dornseif, 2004
6. My aimful life — Dmytro Oleksiuk, 2015
7. Hit by a Bus:Physical Access Attacks with Firewire — A. Theodore Markettos, Adam Boileau, 2006