Stay updated on firmware security: Explore the latest threats, updates, and protection strategies for safeguarding critical system software.
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Background for this topic.
Firmware is software stored in a device’s nonvolatile memory that initializes and controls hardware, often before an operating system or application runs. It may reside in computers, network equipment, phones, industrial controllers, storage devices, and embedded components. Firmware can be updated, so it is not necessarily permanent or read-only.
Firmware matters to security because vulnerabilities or unauthorized changes can affect a device beneath the operating system and may persist across software reinstallation. Important controls include authenticated, cryptographically signed updates; secure boot, which verifies code before execution; protection against unauthorized flashing and downgrade attacks; and a reliable recovery mechanism. Practitioners also need firmware inventories, vulnerability tracking, and a supported update process, since obscure components can remain unpatched or use insecure update mechanisms. During an investigation, verifying firmware integrity and the device’s boot chain can help distinguish an operating-system compromise from a deeper modification.
HP is working to address a bad firmware update that has been bricking HP Office Jet printers worldwide since it was released earlier this month. [...]
The implant's components are designed to be compatible with different firmware from various vendors
A Chinese state-sponsored hacking group named "Camaro Dragon" infects residential TP-Link routers with a custom "Horse Shell" malware used to attack European foreign affairs organizations. [...]
The Chinese nation-state actor known as Mustang Panda has been linked to a new set of sophisticated and targeted attacks aimed at European foreign affairs entities since January 2023