CAPEC-532

Detailed Abstraction Level
Meta — Very abstract, high-level category
Standard — Specific enough to understand
Detailed — Tied to specific technique Stable MITRE CAPEC Status
Stable — Fully reviewed and complete
Draft — Under development
Incomplete — Partially defined
Deprecated — No longer recommended
Obsolete — Replaced by another CAPEC Likelihood: Low Severity: High
Altered Installed BIOS

Description

An attacker with access to download and update system software sends a maliciously altered BIOS to the victim or victim supplier/integrator, which when installed allows for future exploitation.

Prerequisites

Advanced knowledge about the installed target system design.

Advanced knowledge about the download and update installation processes.

Access to the download and update system(s) used to deliver BIOS images.

Mitigations

Deploy strong code integrity policies to allow only authorized apps to run.

Use endpoint detection and response solutions that can automaticalkly detect and remediate suspicious activities.

Maintain a highly secure build and update infrastructure by immediately applying security patches for OS and software, implementing mandatory integrity controls to ensure only trusted tools run, and requiring multi-factor authentication for admins.

Require SSL for update channels and implement certificate transparency based verification.

Sign update packages and BIOS patches.

Use hardware security modules/trusted platform modules to verify authenticity using hardware-based cryptography.

Skills Required

[High] Able to develop a malicious BIOS image with the original functionality as a normal BIOS image, but with added functionality that allows for later compromise and/or disruption.