CVE-2021-28216 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides details about CVE-2021-28216, a vulnerability affecting EDK II Master by TianoCore.

Understanding CVE-2021-28216

CVE-2021-28216 is related to reading the BootPerformanceTable pointer from an NVRAM variable in PEI, suggesting a configuration change to PcdFirmwarePerformanceDataTableS3Support.

What is CVE-2021-28216?

The vulnerability involves a CWE-587 issue occurring in the function FpdtStatusCodeListenerPei() within EDK II Master by TianoCore.

The Impact of CVE-2021-28216

Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of the BootPerformanceTable pointer stored in the NVRAM variable.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-28216

This section covers the specific details related to the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

BootPerformanceTable pointer is read from an NVRAM variable in PEI, necessitating a change in the PcdFirmwarePerformanceDataTableS3Support setting to mitigate the risk.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects EDK II Master version of TianoCore.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors manipulating the BootPerformanceTable pointer through unauthorized access.

Mitigation and Prevention

To secure systems from CVE-2021-28216, follow the recommended mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Ensure PcdFirmwarePerformanceDataTableS3Support is set to FALSE to prevent exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Incorporate secure coding practices and regular security audits to detect and address potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Monitor for security advisories from TianoCore and apply patches promptly to address known vulnerabilities.