CVE-2024-43420 is an information disclosure vulnerability identified in certain Intel Atom processors. The root cause lies in the shared microarchitectural predictor state, which influences transient execution paths within the CPU. Transient execution vulnerabilities exploit speculative execution mechanisms to leak data across security boundaries. In this case, the shared predictor state can be manipulated by an authenticated local user with limited privileges to infer sensitive information from other processes or security domains. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require local access and some privilege level, making remote exploitation infeasible. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates a local attack vector (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), and low privileges required (PR:L), with no user interaction (UI:N). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (VC:H), with no effect on integrity or availability. Intel Atom processors are commonly used in embedded systems, IoT devices, and edge computing platforms, which may be deployed in industrial, telecommunications, and consumer environments. No patches or exploits are currently publicly available, but the vulnerability is officially published and tracked. This vulnerability highlights the ongoing challenges in securing microarchitectural features against side-channel and transient execution attacks.

For European organizations, the primary impact is the potential leakage of sensitive information from devices running vulnerable Intel Atom processors. This could include industrial control systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and embedded devices used in critical sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation. Confidential data such as cryptographic keys, proprietary algorithms, or personal data could be exposed if an attacker gains local access. Although the attack requires local authenticated access, insider threats or compromised devices could exploit this vulnerability to escalate information disclosure risks. The impact on operational continuity or data integrity is minimal, but confidentiality breaches could lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR and damage to organizational reputation. The threat is more pronounced in environments where Intel Atom processors are widely deployed in edge or embedded roles, which are often less monitored and harder to patch promptly.

Organizations should prioritize applying firmware and microcode updates from Intel as soon as they become available to address this vulnerability. Until patches are deployed, strict access controls should be enforced to limit local access to trusted users only. Implementing robust endpoint security measures, including monitoring for anomalous local activity and privilege escalations, can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation can isolate vulnerable devices to reduce the risk of lateral movement. For embedded and IoT devices, consider device inventory and risk assessment to identify affected hardware. Where patching is not immediately feasible, disabling or restricting features that rely on the vulnerable microarchitectural components may reduce risk. Additionally, organizations should review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving microarchitectural side-channel attacks.