: Defenders use scripts and hardware registers (like the BIOS_CNTL register) to ensure BIOS hardware write-protection is enabled, preventing unauthorized flashing. Attacking and Defending BIOS
The battle over BIOS security is increasingly moving toward transparency. While proprietary vendors struggle with complex, legacy codebases, projects like Coreboot aim to replace opaque firmware with open-source alternatives that allow for community-driven security audits and faster patching of vulnerabilities. Attacking and Defending BIOS in 2015 - Recon.cx : Defenders use scripts and hardware registers (like
: SMM is a highly privileged execution mode used for low-level hardware control. Attackers target SMI (System Management Interrupt) handlers —specifically looking for "SMI input pointer" vulnerabilities—to extract protected data from SMRAM or overwrite firmware. Attacking and Defending BIOS in 2015 - Recon
: Non-volatile storage (NVRAM) variables can sometimes be manipulated to bypass passwords or alter the Secure Boot policy. Tools like UEFI Tool and Universal-IFR-Extractor are used to reverse-engineer these modules and identify sensitive offsets.
: Modern systems use Intel Boot Guard or AMD Hardware-Validated Boot to verify the digital signature of the BIOS before execution. Secure Boot then extends this verification to the OS loader.
