CWE-1328

Base Abstraction Level
Pillar — Highest-level weakness category
Class — Abstract, language-independent
Base — Specific enough to detect
Variant — Tied to specific technology
Compound — Requires multiple weaknesses Draft MITRE CWE Status
Stable — Fully reviewed and complete
Draft — Under development, may change
Incomplete — Partially defined by MITRE
Deprecated — No longer recommended
Obsolete — Replaced by another CWE
Security Version Number Mutable to Older Versions

Description

Security-version number in hardware is mutable, resulting in the ability to downgrade (roll-back) the boot firmware to vulnerable code versions.

A System-on-Chip (SoC) implements secure boot or verified boot. It might support a security version number, which prevents downgrading the current firmware to a vulnerable version. Once downgraded to a previous version, an adversary can launch exploits on the SoC and thus compromise the security of the SoC. These downgrade attacks are also referred to as roll-back attacks. The security version number must be stored securely and persistently across power-on resets. A common weakness is that the security version number is modifiable by an adversary, allowing roll-back or downgrade attacks or, under certain circumstances, preventing upgrades (i.e. Denial-of-Service on upgrades). In both cases, the SoC is in a vulnerable state.

Consequences

Confidentiality, Integrity, Authentication, Authorization — Other

Impact includes roll-back or downgrade to a vulnerable version of the firmware or DoS (prevent upgrades).

Mitigations

Phase: Architecture and Design

When architecting the system, security version data should be designated for storage in registers that are either read-only or have access controls that prevent modification by an untrusted agent.

Phase: Implementation

During implementation and test, security version data should be demonstrated to be read-only and access controls should be validated.

Detection

Automated Dynamic Analysis

Mutability of stored security version numbers and programming with older firmware images should be part of automated testing.

Architecture or Design Review

Anti-roll-back features should be reviewed as part of Architecture or Design review.