Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain local user access
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DeliveryInteract with AMD PMF driver
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ExploitTrigger timing condition causing unchecked return
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ExecutionWrite to arbitrary kernel memory
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PersistEscalate privileges to SYSTEM/kernel
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code with elevated privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A10:2025 - Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions
ASVS 5.0
V16 - Security Logging and Error Handling Return value checking
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires local authenticated access with low-level user privileges (PR:L) on systems running affected AMD Ryzen 7035/7040/8040 mobile or Embedded 8000 series processors with AMD Platform Management Framework drivers installed. The CVSS AT:P (Attack Timing: Present) metric indicates the attacker must exploit specific timing windows or race conditions within the PMF driver - likely requiring the ability to make rapid repeated calls to PMF interfaces while manipulating system state to trigger the unchecked return value path. Standard user privileges are sufficient, but the attacker likely needs ability to load or interact with AMD PMF driver interfaces, which may be restricted on hardened systems. No network access, physical access, or user interaction required once local access is established. Exploitation is limited to AMD systems with PMF software component active, not Intel or other AMD processor families outside the specified CPE ranges. |
| Impact | Real-world risk is elevated despite the local attack vector. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates low privilege requirements (PR:L) but highlights critical cross-scope impact (SC:H/SI:H/SA:H), meaning a low-privileged attacker can achieve high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on subsequent systems or security contexts. The AT:P (Attack Timing: Present) metric suggests exploitation requires specific race conditions or timing windows, increasing complexity slightly. No EPSS score, KEV status, or POC availability data is provided, suggesting this is a recent disclosure without confirmed public exploitation at time of analysis. However, AMD's direct disclosure via security bulletin AMD-SB-4015 confirms vendor awareness and likely customer-reported incidents. The SSVC framework would classify this as high technical impact (arbitrary code execution with privilege escalation potential) but exploitation status uncertain. Primary risk lies in enterprise environments with AMD mobile workstations where local attackers (malicious insiders, malware with user-level access) could escalate to kernel/firmware privileges. Missing data: EPSS probability, patch testing timeline, exploit prerequisites beyond 'specific timing'. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A malicious insider or malware running with standard user privileges on an enterprise laptop with AMD Ryzen 7040 processor triggers a failure condition in the PMF driver's memory allocation routine. By manipulating timing through repeated driver calls, the attacker causes a return value check to be skipped. The PMF code then treats an uninitialized pointer as valid, allowing the attacker to specify an arbitrary memory address for a subsequent write operation. This memory corruption overwrites kernel data structures or firmware variables, allowing the attacker to escalate privileges to SYSTEM/root and achieve persistence across reboots by modifying UEFI variables. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – May 15, 2026
Arbitrary code execution and denial of service in AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) affects Ryzen 7035, 7040, 8040 mobile processors and Ryzen Embedded 8000 series. A local authenticated attacker exploiting an unchecked return value vulnerability can write to arbitrary memory locations, potentially escalating privileges from low to high integrity across system boundaries. The CVSS 4.0 score of 7.1 reflects local attack vector with low complexity but requires specific attack timing conditions (AT:P), though the cross-scope impact (S:H) and high confidentiality/integrity impact to subsequent systems elevate real-world risk for enterprise environments with AMD mobile processors.
RemediationAI
Apply AMD-provided firmware and driver updates per Security Bulletin AMD-SB-4015 (https://www.amd.com/en/resources/product-security/bulletin/AMD-SB-4015.html). Specific patch versions not disclosed in available data - consult the bulletin for affected BIOS revisions and PMF driver updates for each processor family. Patches likely address the unchecked return value by adding proper validation logic before memory operations. Workarounds: Restrict local user privileges to trusted accounts only, as exploitation requires low-privileged local access. Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious driver interactions or unexpected privilege escalations from user-mode processes. In high-security environments, consider disabling AMD PMF service if power management tuning is not operationally required, though this may impact battery life and thermal performance on mobile systems. Verify patch application through BIOS version checks and driver enumeration (check PMF driver file versions in Windows Device Manager or Linux lsmod output). No compensating network controls are relevant given local attack vector.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability resides in AMD's Platform Management Framework (PMF), a system management software component present in modern Ryzen mobile and embedded processors. The root cause is CWE-252 (Unchecked Return Value), where the software fails to validate the success or failure of a critical operation before proceeding. In C/C++ environments common to system firmware and drivers, unchecked return values from memory allocation, privilege checks, or hardware operations can leave pointers uninitialized or contain unexpected values. When the code subsequently dereferences these unchecked values, an attacker who can influence the failed operation can redirect execution flow or corrupt memory at arbitrary addresses. The affected CPE strings identify specific processor families: Rembrandt-R refresh (7035 series), Phoenix (7040 series), Hawk Point (8040 series), and Ryzen Embedded 8000 series, suggesting the vulnerable PMF code is shared across AMD's 2023-2024 mobile processor lineup. PMF typically operates with elevated system privileges to manage power states, thermal profiles, and performance tuning, making memory corruption vulnerabilities particularly severe.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
An unchecked return value within the AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) could allow an attacker to write to an arbitrary memory address resulting in denial of service or arbitrary code execution.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2025-29938 affects AMD Ryzen mobile processors (7035, 7040, 8040 series) and Ryzen Embedded 8000 processors, allowing authenticated local users to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges across system boundaries. Organizations using these processors face risk of complete system compromise without vendor remediation currently available, requiring immediate inventory and mitigation planning for affected mobile and embedded systems.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: enforce strict local access controls and authentication hardening; isolate affected systems from sensitive network segments where possible; implement privileged access management (PAM) solutions to monitor and restrict local process execution; disable kernel mode execution on low-privilege processes if microcode updates are available from AMD; maintain enhanced logging of local user activities and memory access attempts on affected platforms.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
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EUVD-2025-209874
GHSA-mh6f-jq3x-vvpv
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB