At the RSA Conference, Rapid7s senior director of threat analytics, Christiaan Beek, highlighted a potential ransomware threat that exploits vulnerabilities at the CPU level, using modified microcode to gain persistent control over systems, The Register reports.
The concept stems from a flaw in AMD Zen processors that could allow attackers to inject unauthorized microcode, thereby subverting encryption and altering processor behavior. While injecting such microcode is technically demanding and typically restricted to chip manufacturers, past demonstrations, such as one by Google, prove it is feasible. Beek developed a proof-of-concept ransomware that operates within a CPUs microcode, bypassing traditional detection and security tools. He emphasized that while this risk remains theoretical for now, cybercriminals have increasingly explored firmware-level attacks, as evidenced by past UEFI bootkits and leaks from the Conti ransomware group in 2022, which referenced embedding ransomware into firmware to survive system reinstalls. Beek criticized the cybersecurity industrys focus on advanced technologies like artificial intelligence while failing to enforce foundational protections such as strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. He urged a renewed emphasis on core cybersecurity practices to counter increasingly sophisticated and persistent threats targeting hardware and firmware layers.
The concept stems from a flaw in AMD Zen processors that could allow attackers to inject unauthorized microcode, thereby subverting encryption and altering processor behavior. While injecting such microcode is technically demanding and typically restricted to chip manufacturers, past demonstrations, such as one by Google, prove it is feasible. Beek developed a proof-of-concept ransomware that operates within a CPUs microcode, bypassing traditional detection and security tools. He emphasized that while this risk remains theoretical for now, cybercriminals have increasingly explored firmware-level attacks, as evidenced by past UEFI bootkits and leaks from the Conti ransomware group in 2022, which referenced embedding ransomware into firmware to survive system reinstalls. Beek criticized the cybersecurity industrys focus on advanced technologies like artificial intelligence while failing to enforce foundational protections such as strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. He urged a renewed emphasis on core cybersecurity practices to counter increasingly sophisticated and persistent threats targeting hardware and firmware layers.
