Buzz
Secure Boot, an integrated security feature in UEFI, prevents unreliable software from booting alongside the operating system on computers with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chips. This thwarts malicious code like rootkits and bootkits during startup.
Acer Resolves UEFI Flaw That Could Be Exploited to Disable Secure Boot
Martin Smolar, a researcher in ESET's malicious software division, reported a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-4020) found in the HQSwSmiDxe DXE driver on certain Acer Notebook devices.
According to Acer's announcement, sophisticated cybercriminals can exploit this vulnerability to manipulate Secure Boot settings on UEFI by modifying the NVRAM BootOrderSecureBootDisable variable to disable Secure Boot. Therefore, you need to access the BIOS to activate Secure Boot.
After exploiting the vulnerability on the victim's Acer laptop and disabling Secure Boot, cybercriminals can seize control of the OS loading process, deploying a modified bootloader to bypass or disable protective measures, and execute arbitrary software and malicious code during startup.
The complete list of affected Acer laptop models includes Acer Aspire A315-22, A115-21, A315-22G, Extensa EX215-21, and EX215-21G.
Acer recommends users to promptly update to the latest BIOS version to address this issue. The update will be rolled out and marked as a crucial Windows update. Additionally, users can download the BIOS update from the company's support website and manually install it on affected systems.
In another update, Mytour reports that Lenovo has also patched similar vulnerabilities identified by ESET researchers in ThinkBook, IdeaPad, and Yoga laptop models.
Allowing attackers to execute malicious code during the OS startup poses severe consequences. In this case, Lenovo engineers and programmers have updated drivers and modified safe boot settings from the operating system.
In January, ESET also discovered three other UEFI firmware vulnerabilities that could enable attackers to take control of the startup process on over 70 Lenovo laptop models running Windows.
