CVE-2021-35465 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2021-35465 affecting certain Arm products, allowing unauthorized access between Secure and Non-secure contexts. Find out the impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.
This article discusses the security vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-35465, affecting certain Arm products. Learn about the impact, technical details, and how to mitigate this vulnerability.
Understanding CVE-2021-35465
CVE-2021-35465 is a security vulnerability found in certain Arm products that do not properly handle exceptions on a VLLDM instruction. This could lead to a Non-secure handler gaining unauthorized access to part of a Secure context.
What is CVE-2021-35465?
Certain Arm products before 2021-08-23 are affected by this vulnerability, including Arm Cortex-M33, Arm Cortex-M35P, Arm Cortex-M55, and Arm China STAR-MC1 in the STAR SE configuration.
The Impact of CVE-2021-35465
The vulnerability may allow a Non-secure handler to read or write data in a Secure context, compromising the security and integrity of the system.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-35465
This section provides more insights into the vulnerability, affected systems, and how it can be exploited.
Vulnerability Description
The issue arises from certain Arm products not properly considering exceptions on a VLLDM instruction, leading to unauthorized access between Secure and Non-secure contexts.
Affected Systems and Versions
Arm Cortex-M33 (r0p0 through r1p0), Arm Cortex-M35P (r0), Arm Cortex-M55 (r0p0 through r1p0), and Arm China STAR-MC1 (in the STAR SE configuration) are impacted.
Exploitation Mechanism
Exploiting this vulnerability could allow a Non-secure handler to interact with data in a Secure context, potentially breaching data confidentiality and system integrity.
Mitigation and Prevention
Discover the steps to address and prevent the CVE-2021-35465 vulnerability from affecting your systems.
Immediate Steps to Take
It is crucial to apply security updates provided by Arm to mitigate the vulnerability and enhance system security.
Long-Term Security Practices
Implement robust security measures, access controls, and regular security assessments to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
Patching and Updates
Regularly monitor for security updates from Arm and apply patches promptly to ensure system protection.