MEDIUM CVSS 5.5
Published: 2020-11-12

CVE-2020-12912

amd energy_driver_for_linux Security Advisory (CVE-2020-12912)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-12912 impacting amd energy_driver_for_linux. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A potential vulnerability in the AMD extension to Linux "hwmon" service may allow an attacker to use the Linux-based Running Average Power Limit (RAPL) interface to show various side channel attacks. In line with industry partners, AMD has updated the RAPL interface to require privileged access.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product amd / energy_driver_for_linux
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-749

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2020-12912 impacting amd energy_driver_for_linux.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-12912.yaml
id: cve-2020-12912

info:
  name: amd energy_driver_for_linux - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-12912 affecting amd energy_driver_for_linux.
    Evaluation: A potential vulnerability in the AMD extension to Linux "hwmon" service may allow an attacker to use the Linux-based Running Average Power L...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-12912
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 5.5
    cve-id: CVE-2020-12912
    cwe-id: CWE-749
  tags: cve,cve-2020-12912,amd,energy_driver_for_linux,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "energy_driver_for_linux"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-12912.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-12912
# Target: amd energy_driver_for_linux | CVSS: 5.5 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-12912 (amd energy_driver_for_linux)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against amd energy_driver_for_linux scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2020-12912.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-12912
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install energy_driver_for_linux 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade energy_driver_for_linux 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update energy_driver_for_linux

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i energy_driver_for_linux 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i energy_driver_for_linux

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-12912 in amd energy_driver_for_linux?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update amd energy_driver_for_linux packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2020-12912?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2020-12912?

CVE-2020-12912 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.5
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-12912
Weakness CWE-749
Vendor amd
Product energy_driver_for_linux
Published 2020-11-12
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N