CVE-2025-48512: AMD GPIO Controller Privilege Escalation

CVE-2025-48512 Overview

CVE-2025-48512 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the AMD general-purpose input/output (GPIO) controller installation directory. The flaw stems from incorrect default permissions [CWE-276] applied to the installation directory. A local attacker with low privileges can leverage these permissions to achieve arbitrary code execution at an elevated privilege level. The vulnerability requires user interaction to trigger the exploitation path. AMD has documented the issue in security bulletins AMD-SB-3047 and AMD-SB-4015.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation grants attackers arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges on affected systems, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host.

Affected Products

• AMD general-purpose input/output (GPIO) controller software
• Systems with the affected GPIO controller installation directory
• Refer to AMD Security Bulletin SB-3047 and AMD Security Bulletin SB-4015 for the authoritative product list

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-05-15 - CVE-2025-48512 published to the National Vulnerability Database
• 2026-05-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48512

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as Incorrect Default Permissions [CWE-276]. The AMD GPIO controller installs files into a directory whose access control list permits modification by non-privileged users. Because the GPIO controller components execute with elevated privileges, an attacker who modifies or replaces files inside the installation directory can have malicious code loaded by a higher-privileged process. The attack vector is local, and exploitation depends on user interaction, such as launching an application or initiating a system event that triggers the GPIO controller component.

Root Cause

The root cause is the assignment of overly permissive default access controls on the GPIO controller installation directory during deployment. Standard users inherit write access to files that are later executed or loaded by privileged services. This violates the principle of least privilege and creates a writable code path that crosses a trust boundary.

Attack Vector

An authenticated local attacker writes a malicious binary or library into the GPIO controller installation directory. When a privileged process subsequently loads the modified file, the attacker's code runs in the elevated security context. The user interaction requirement means the attacker must wait for or induce a legitimate trigger, such as a software launch, driver reload, or system event. Because no network access is required, this vulnerability is most relevant to multi-user systems, shared workstations, and post-initial-access scenarios where an adversary seeks to escalate from a standard account to administrative control.

No public proof-of-concept exploit has been published, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The current EPSS probability is 0.013%.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48512

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected file writes, replacements, or new executable files within the AMD GPIO controller installation directory by non-administrative user accounts
• Privileged process loading binaries or libraries from a path with weak directory ACLs
• Newly created scheduled tasks, services, or persistence artifacts following file modifications in the GPIO controller directory

Detection Strategies

• Audit the access control list of the AMD GPIO controller installation directory and flag any entry granting write or modify rights to standard users or groups such as Users or Authenticated Users
• Enable file integrity monitoring on the GPIO controller installation path to detect unauthorized changes to executables and DLLs
• Correlate process-creation telemetry with the load path to identify elevated processes executing code from user-writable locations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Log and alert on WriteFile and CreateFile operations targeting the GPIO controller directory from non-SYSTEM, non-administrator security contexts
• Monitor for module-load events where a high-integrity process maps an image from a directory with weak permissions
• Track installation and update activity for AMD chipset software to confirm patched versions are deployed across the fleet

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48512

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the updated AMD GPIO controller package referenced in AMD Security Bulletin SB-3047 and AMD Security Bulletin SB-4015
• Inventory endpoints running affected AMD chipset and GPIO controller software and prioritize multi-user systems for remediation
• Restrict interactive logon on systems hosting the vulnerable controller until patching is complete

Patch Information

AMD has published remediation guidance in security bulletins AMD-SB-3047 and AMD-SB-4015. Administrators should download the latest AMD chipset driver package from official AMD distribution channels and validate that the installation directory permissions are corrected after the upgrade. Verify the deployed version on each endpoint and re-audit directory ACLs post-installation to confirm the fix is effective.

Workarounds

• Manually tighten the access control list on the GPIO controller installation directory so that only SYSTEM and Administrators retain write and modify rights
• Remove inherited permissions that grant standard users write access to subdirectories and executable files
• Enforce application allow-listing to prevent execution of unsigned or unexpected binaries from the affected installation path

# Example: review and harden directory ACL on Windows (PowerShell)
# Replace the path with the actual AMD GPIO controller installation directory
icacls "C:\Program Files\AMD\GPIO"
icacls "C:\Program Files\AMD\GPIO" /inheritance:r
icacls "C:\Program Files\AMD\GPIO" /grant:r "SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)F" "Administrators:(OI)(CI)F" "Users:(OI)(CI)RX"