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Vitis Unified EUVDEUVD-2025-210686

| CVE-2025-61970 LOW
Incorrect Default Permissions (CWE-276)
2026-08-11 psirt@amd.com GHSA-6rv5-3vh8-6642
1.0
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: amd
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local Windows account
  2. Delivery
    Identify writable directory in Vitis installation path
  3. Exploit
    Plant malicious binary matching legitimate component name
  4. Execution
    Wait for privileged user to launch Vitis tooling
  5. Persist
    Hijacked binary executes with elevated process privileges
  6. Impact
    Achieve code execution in higher-privilege context

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Default permission hardening
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires all of the following: (1) a Windows machine where AMD Vitis Unified is installed, with at least one directory in the installation path writable by low-privileged accounts - this is the specific misconfiguration that defines the vulnerability; (2) the attacker must hold a low-privileged local Windows account on that machine (PR:L per CVSS vector); (3) a user with higher privileges must actively trigger execution of a Vitis component that traverses the writable path (UI:A per CVSS vector - exploitation cannot be automated without this interaction); and (4) attack preconditions must be met (AT:P), meaning the scenario is not straightforwardly exploitable against every default Vitis installation. Linux, macOS, or other non-Windows Vitis deployments are not indicated as affected. Remote exploitation is not possible; physical or remote-desktop access to the target machine is required.

Impact

The overall risk is low, consistent with the CVSS 4.0 base score of 1.0. All impact sub-scores are rated Low (VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L), and subsequent-system availability impact is None (SA:N), indicating limited blast radius even in a successful exploitation scenario. The attack prerequisites (AT:P) and mandatory user interaction (UI:A) substantially narrow the exploitable population - the attacker cannot trigger execution autonomously and must rely on a privileged user performing a normal workflow action. No EPSS score and no KEV listing were provided, and no public exploit code has been identified, meaning real-world exploitation signals are entirely absent. The vulnerability is confined to developer workstations running a specialized FPGA toolchain on Windows, not servers or broadly networked infrastructure, which further constrains exposure. Even a small IT team managing a handful of engineering workstations would face minimal urgency here absent evidence of targeted exploitation, and the patch (Vitis SFD 2026.1) is already available. The primary residual concern is insider threat or a compromised low-privileged account on a shared development machine.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with a low-privileged Windows account on a shared Vitis development workstation identifies a directory within the Vitis Unified installation path that is writable by standard users. The attacker places a malicious DLL or executable in that directory, naming it to match a legitimate Vitis component. When an engineer or automated build process with higher privileges subsequently launches Vitis tooling and Windows resolves the binary search path, the malicious file is loaded and executes with the invoking process's privilege level. No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis.

Monitor Track and reassess. Why: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026

Binary hijacking is possible on Windows machines running AMD Vitis Unified due to weak filesystem permissions on the installation directory. A low-privileged local user can write arbitrary executables into paths traversed by higher-privileged processes, causing those processes to load attacker-controlled code when triggered by an interactive user. The CVSS 4.0 score of 1.0 reflects significant limiting prerequisites: local access, low-privilege credentials, specific attack preconditions, and required user interaction are all mandatory for exploitation. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

The primary fix is to apply the Vitis™ Embedded Single File Download (SFD) for Windows patch version 2026.1, as documented in AMD Security Bulletin AMD-SB-8015 (https://www.amd.com/en/resources/product-security/bulletin/AMD-SB-8015.html). For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should audit and tighten ACLs on the Vitis Unified installation directory using icacls or Group Policy, removing write permissions for standard user accounts and retaining only read and execute access. This compensating control eliminates the writable path condition that makes hijacking possible, though it may interfere with Vitis features that legitimately write to the installation directory during operation or updates - verify with AMD documentation before applying. Additionally, restricting local login access to development machines to only authorized engineering personnel reduces the pool of potential attackers. Patch version 2026.1 is confirmed by ENISA EUVD data; no earlier partial-fix version is noted.

Affected VersionsENISA

Vitis™ Embedded Single File Download (SFD) for Windows patch: 2026.1

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

AMD Vitis Unified is a software development platform targeting FPGA, embedded processor, and adaptive compute workloads, primarily used by hardware engineers on Windows workstations. The vulnerability class is binary (DLL or executable) hijacking: Windows resolves library and executable paths by searching a sequence of directories, and if any directory in that sequence is writable by a low-privileged account, an attacker can plant a malicious file that a higher-privileged process loads instead of the legitimate one. The root cause is misconfigured Access Control Lists (ACLs) on the Vitis installation directory, allowing write access to accounts that should only have read/execute permissions. Although CWE is listed as N/A in the source data, this pattern is most closely associated with CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource) and CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path). The CVSS 4.0 vector confirms local attack surface (AV:L), attack preconditions (AT:P), low privilege required (PR:L), and active user interaction (UI:A), consistent with a hijacking scenario requiring a privileged user to invoke the affected binary.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (amd) PRIMARY 1.0 LOW
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N
vuln.today AI 4.2 MEDIUM

Local access, low privilege, required user interaction, and the specific writable-path precondition justify AC:H; limited CIA impact reflects binary hijacking scope without scope change.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (amd).

CVSS VectorVendor: amd

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
Present
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
Active
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
Low
Vulnerable system: Integrity
Low
Vulnerable system: Availability
Low
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
Low
Subsequent system: Integrity
Low
Subsequent system: Availability
None

DescriptionCVE.org

Weak permissions in the Vitis™ Unified installation path on local Windows machines could allow a low-privileged user to create arbitrary code, potentially resulting in binary hijacking.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 98% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
specialized AMD FPGA/embedded development tool, niche engineering audience
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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.

SignalValue
Severity LOW
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Low
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

5
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +5
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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