Software based Power Side Channel on AMD CPUs   

Bulletin ID:  AMD-SB-7006
Potential Impact: Information disclosure
Severity: Low

Summary

A potential leakage of data using software-based power side channels on AMD CPUs was reported to AMD. This issue has also been referred to as ‘Collide + Power’.

CVE Details

Refer to Glossary for explanation of terms

Mitigation

Based on the complex nature of the attack, AMD believes that it is difficult to execute the attack/exploit of this vulnerability in the real-world or outside of a controlled/lab-type environment.

Some mitigations that may be available currently include the performance determinism mode and the core boost disable bit. AMD EPYC™ server processors contain a performance determinism mode which can be used to reduce this type of leakage. AMD Ryzen™ client processors support a core boost disable bit that can help reduce the changes in frequency.

Acknowledgement

AMD thanks the following for reporting this issue and engaging in coordinated vulnerability disclosure:

Andreas Kogler (Graz University of Technology), Jonas Juffinger (Graz University of Technology), Lukas Giner (Graz University of Technology), Lukas Gerlach (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security), Martin Schwarzl (Graz University of Technology), Daniel Weber (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security), Michael Schwarz (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security), Daniel Gruss (Graz University of Technology), and Stefan Mangard (Graz University of Technology)

References  

https://www.amd.com/system/files/2017-06/Power-Performance-Determinism.pdf

Revisions

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