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Epyc 7f72 FirmwareOperating system · Amd

CVE-2020-12946

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-11-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Insufficient input validation in ASP firmware for discrete TPM commands could allow a potential loss of integrity and denial of service.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Insufficient input validation in AMD ASP (Advanced Security Processor) firmware for discrete TPM (Trusted Platform Module) commands allows malformed or maliciously crafted TPM commands to be processed without proper validation, potentially causing integrity violations and denial of service conditions.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided firmware update/patch for ASP firmware when available; until then, restrict physical and software access to TPM interfaces and monitor for anomalous TPM command patterns.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Epyc 7f72 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7f52 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7f32 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7h12 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7742 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7702 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7702p FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c
Epyc 7662 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the AMD Epyc processor model
    Run 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' or use 'lscpu' to display CPU information. Look for the model name in the 'model name' or 'Model:' field.
    Affected if The CPU model is one of: Epyc 7f72, Epyc 7f52, Epyc 7f32, Epyc 7h12, Epyc 7742, Epyc 7702, Epyc 7702p, or Epyc 7662.
  2. Query the ASP firmware version
    Use IPMI or BMC tools to query the firmware version. Run 'ipmitool -I lanplus -H <bmc_ip> -U <user> raw <command>' or check the BMC web interface firmware inventory for the ASP firmware component labeled 'romepi-sp3'. The version string will appear as romepi-sp3_X.Y.Z.
    Affected if The ASP firmware version is earlier than romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c (e.g., romepi-sp3_0.9.x or earlier).
  3. Verify TPM is enabled and in use
    Check if TPM is active by running 'ls /dev/tpm*' to list TPM device nodes, or run 'tpm2_getcap -l' if the TPM2 software stack is installed. Also check BIOS/UEFI settings for TPM enablement.
    Affected if A discrete TPM is enabled and the system processes TPM commands through the AMD ASP firmware.
  4. Check TPM command activity logs
    Review system logs for TPM activity: 'journalctl -b | grep -i tpm' or '/var/log/messages' entries containing 'TPM'. Some BMCs also provide TPM event logs accessible via IPMI 'ipmitool -I lanplus -H <bmc_ip> raw 0x04 0x08'.
    Affected if There are logged TPM command executions, indicating the attack surface is active.

You are affected if you run an AMD Epyc 7f32, 7f52, 7f72, 7h12, 7742, 7702, 7702p, or 7662 processor with ASP firmware version earlier than romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c and have a discrete TPM enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided firmware update/patch for ASP firmware when available; until then, restrict physical and software access to TPM interfaces and monitor for anomalous TPM command patterns.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c or later

  1. 1. Identify the current firmware version by checking the ASP firmware on the affected AMD Epyc system (typically via BIOS/UEFI settings or system management tools)
  2. 2. Navigate to the AMD website (www.amd.com) and locate the security advisory for CVE-2020-12946
  3. 3. Download the fixed firmware version romepi-sp3_1.0.0.c or later for your specific Epyc model (7f72, 7f52, 7f32, 7h12, 7742, 7702, 7702p, or 7662)
  4. 4. Apply the firmware update following AMD's standard firmware update procedures (typically through BIOS update, AMD firmware update utility, or system management interface)
  5. 5. Verify the firmware was successfully applied by checking the new firmware version
  6. 6. Reboot the system to ensure the new TPM firmware takes effect
Caveat Firmware updates carry inherent risks and should be tested in a non-production environment first; ensure uninterrupted power during the update process to avoid permanent hardware damage

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Epyc 7f72 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,300
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-12946 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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