dbcve.org
Epyc 7232p FirmwareOperating system · Amd

CVE-2021-26388

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-05-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
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
Improper validation of the BIOS directory may allow for searches to read beyond the directory table copy in RAM, exposing out of bounds memory contents, resulting in a potential 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

Improper validation in the BIOS directory search functionality allows memory reads to extend beyond the allocated directory table copy in RAM, exposing out-of-bounds memory contents. This information disclosure can lead to a denial of service condition.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied BIOS/firmware updates to address the directory validation vulnerability. Verify that BIOS directory search operations remain within bounds.

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 7232p FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7302p FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7402p FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7502p FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7702p FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7252 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7262 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
Epyc 7272 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d

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
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 'dmidecode -t processor' or check system inventory to confirm the CPU is one of the affected models: 7232p, 7302p, 7402p, 7502p, 7702p, 7252, 7262, or 7272
    Affected if The processor is an AMD Epyc from the affected list and the firmware version is below romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d
  2. Retrieve the current BIOS/firmware version
    Run 'dmidecode -t bios' to obtain the BIOS version string, or use 'ipmitool mc info' if the system has an BMC/IPMI interface, or consult the OEM management interface for firmware version details
    Affected if The displayed firmware version is a version string less than 'romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d' (for example, an earlier build of the same firmware family)
  3. Verify the firmware package name if visible
    Check system logs, BMC firmware inventory, or vendor-specific tools (such as AMD's platform management utilities) for the exact firmware package identifier containing 'romepi-sp3'
    Affected if The installed firmware package version is older than version 1.0.0.d of the romepi-sp3 firmware package

A user is affected if they are running an AMD Epyc 7002 series processor (from the list above) with BIOS/firmware versions prior to romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d.

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 vendor-supplied BIOS/firmware updates to address the directory validation vulnerability. Verify that BIOS directory search operations remain within bounds.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d or later

  1. 1. Identify the current firmware version of the AMD Epyc processor using IPMI, BIOS, or AMD's system management tools
  2. 2. Navigate to the AMD support website and locate the Epyc firmware updates for your specific processor model
  3. 3. Download the romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d firmware update (or a later version) from AMD's official firmware repository
  4. 4. Apply the firmware update following AMD's standard firmware flashing procedure, which typically involves:
  5. a. Loading the firmware via the AMD firmware update utility or through the system BIOS/UEFI interface
  6. b. Ensuring stable power during the update process
  7. c. Allowing the system to reboot and complete the update
  8. 5. After the update, verify that the firmware version has been successfully changed to romepi-sp3_1.0.0.d or later

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

Fix this in Epyc 7232p Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,880
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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-2021-26388 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data