CVE-2023-20569 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting certain AMD CPUs, potentially leading to information disclosure through a side channel attack. This vulnerability, also known as inception or Speculative Return Stack Overflow (SRSO), allows an attacker to influence the return address prediction and execute speculative operations at attacker-controlled addresses. The issue impacts various AMD Ryzen CPUs and specific firmware versions, as well as certain versions of Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. For those not well-versed in vulnerabilities, this means that an attacker could potentially access sensitive information on affected systems.

How do I know if I'm affected?

To determine if you're affected by the CVE-2023-20569 vulnerability, you'll need to check if your system has an AMD CPU from the Ryzen or EPYC series, or if you're using specific firmware versions. Additionally, certain versions of Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server are also impacted. In simpler terms, if you have an AMD processor or use one of the mentioned Windows versions, you might be at risk.

What should I do if I'm affected?

If you're affected by the CVE-2023-20569 vulnerability, it's crucial to take action to protect your system. First, check for and apply any available microcode updates from AMD. Next, if you're using Xen, boot it with the spec-ctrl=ibpb-entry option after updating the microcode. Finally, apply any relevant patches to ensure your system is secure. Stay vigilant and keep your software up-to-date to minimize risks.

Is this in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog?

The CVE-2023-20569 vulnerability is not explicitly mentioned in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. This vulnerability affects certain AMD CPUs and can potentially lead to information disclosure through a side channel attack. To protect your system, it's important to apply any available microcode updates from AMD and relevant patches.

Weakness enumeration

The Weakness Enumeration for CVE-2023-20569 categorized as CWE-203, also known as inception, involves a speculative return stack overflow affecting x86/AMD systems, potentially allowing attackers to infer memory contents. Mitigation includes applying microcode updates and booting Xen with specific options.

For more details

For a comprehensive understanding of this vulnerability, including its description, severity, technical details, and known affected software configurations, refer to the NVD page or the resources listed below.

• Xen.org security team advisory

• Xenproject.org Security Team advisory

• Computer Security Group's Inception page

• Debian LTS security advisory