An issue was discovered in the Texas Instruments (TI) TM4C, MSP432E and MSP432P microcontroller series. The eXecute-Only-Memory (XOM) implementation prevents code read-outs on protected memory by generating bus faults. However, single-stepping and using breakpoints is allowed in XOM-protected flash memory. As a consequence, it is possible to execute single instructions with arbitrary system states (e.g., registers, status flags, and SRAM content) and observe the state changes produced by the unknown instruction. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by executing protected and unknown instructions with specific system states and observing the state changes. Based on the gathered information, it is possible to reverse-engineer the executed instructions. The processor acts as a kind of "instruction oracle."
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.6, with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), for affected systems. Impacting 4 products from ti, from ti, from ti and 1 other, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
First disclosed in 2019, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.
2019-08-20T17:15:11.087
2024-11-21T03:55:24.310
Modified
CVSSv3.0: 4.6 (MEDIUM)
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
3.9
2.9
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | ti | tm4c123_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | ti | tm4c123 | - | No |
| Operating System | ti | tm4c129_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | ti | tm4c129 | - | No |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For ti's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.