CVE-2025-48519: AMD PMF Driver Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-48519 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in AMD Platform Management Framework driver caused by improper input validation. Attackers can exploit OOB read/write to gain elevated privileges. This article covers technical details, affected systems, impact assessment, and mitigation strategies.

CVE-2025-48519 Overview

CVE-2025-48519 is an improper input validation vulnerability in the AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) driver. A local attacker with low privileges can trigger out-of-bounds read or write operations against driver memory. Successful exploitation can lead to privilege escalation on affected systems.

The flaw is tracked as [CWE-787] Out-of-Bounds Write and stems from missing validation of input passed to the PMF driver. AMD published advisory AMD-SB-4015 to document affected platforms and mitigations.

Critical Impact
A local, authenticated attacker can corrupt kernel-mode memory through the PMF driver, gaining elevated privileges that compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host.

Affected Products

AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) driver
AMD client platforms shipping the PMF driver (refer to AMD-SB-4015 for the full SKU list)
Windows systems with the vulnerable PMF driver installed

Discovery Timeline

2026-05-15 - CVE-2025-48519 published to NVD
2026-05-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48519

Vulnerability Analysis

The AMD Platform Management Framework driver mediates power, thermal, and system performance telemetry between user-mode services and platform firmware. The driver exposes IOCTL handlers that accept structured input from user-mode callers. CVE-2025-48519 exists because the driver does not adequately validate fields supplied in those requests before using them as memory offsets or lengths.

When unsanitized values reach internal copy or indexing routines, the driver reads or writes past the bounds of its allocated buffers. Because the PMF driver executes in kernel mode, both reads and writes can target kernel address space. A local attacker who can issue IOCTLs to the driver can use this primitive to disclose kernel memory or overwrite kernel structures, leading to arbitrary code execution at ring 0.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation [CWE-787] in PMF driver request handlers. Length, offset, or index fields supplied by user mode are trusted without bounds checking, allowing attacker-controlled values to drive out-of-bounds memory access.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access and a low-privilege user context. The attacker opens a handle to the PMF driver device object and issues crafted IOCTL requests with malformed parameters. No user interaction and no additional authentication are required beyond the existing local session. Refer to the AMD Security Bulletin AMD-SB-4015 for affected component identifiers.

No public proof-of-concept exploit has been published at the time of writing, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48519

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected processes opening handles to the PMF driver device object from non-system, non-AMD service contexts
Kernel crashes or BugCheck events referencing the PMF driver module shortly after low-privilege process activity
Loading of outdated PMF driver versions on systems that should have received the AMD-SB-4015 patch

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed AMD PMF driver versions across the fleet and flag hosts running versions predating the AMD-SB-4015 fix
Monitor Windows kernel telemetry for abnormal IOCTL volumes or malformed requests directed at the PMF driver
Alert on local privilege escalation patterns, such as a medium-integrity process spawning SYSTEM-level children shortly after PMF driver interaction

Monitoring Recommendations

Collect Windows Error Reporting and minidump artifacts that reference the PMF driver for post-incident review
Enable kernel driver load auditing and correlate driver version data with vulnerability management findings
Watch for installation or sideloading of older, signed PMF driver binaries used in bring-your-own-vulnerable-driver attacks

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48519

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the updated AMD PMF driver released through OEM firmware and driver update channels as referenced in AMD-SB-4015
Prioritize patching on multi-user systems, shared workstations, and VDI hosts where local low-privilege access is more likely
Restrict local logon rights on affected endpoints until the patched driver is deployed

Patch Information

AMD has released fixed PMF driver versions through OEM distribution channels. Consult the AMD Security Bulletin AMD-SB-4015 for the specific driver versions and platform mappings. Validate that endpoint management tooling reports the patched version after deployment.

Workarounds

Where business requirements allow, disable or uninstall the AMD PMF driver until the fixed version can be deployed
Enforce least-privilege policies and application control to limit which processes can issue IOCTLs to the PMF device
Enable Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) to reduce exposure to vulnerable kernel drivers

bash

# Query installed AMD PMF driver version on Windows (PowerShell)
Get-WmiObject Win32_PnPSignedDriver |
  Where-Object { $_.DeviceName -like "*AMD PMF*" } |
  Select-Object DeviceName, DriverVersion, DriverDate