CVE-2025-7029 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting GIGABYTE's UEFI-OverClockSmiHandler, specifically version 1.0.0. The flaw resides in the Software System Management Interrupt (SwSmi) handler identified by the input value 0xB2. This handler processes power and thermal configuration logic by using pointers derived from the RBX register. A local attacker with high privileges can manipulate the RBX register to control pointers (OcHeader, OcData) that reference buffers used in the OverClocking setup stored in NVRAM (OcSetup). Critically, these buffers are not validated before multiple structured memory writes occur, which can lead to arbitrary corruption of System Management RAM (SMRAM). SMRAM is a highly privileged memory region used by the System Management Mode (SMM) of the CPU, which operates at a higher privilege level than the operating system kernel. Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to escalate privileges within SMM, potentially gaining full control over the system at a very low level. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-822 (Uncontrolled Pointer Dereference), indicating that improper validation of pointers leads to memory corruption. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.2, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with the attack vector being local, requiring low attack complexity but high privileges, and no user interaction. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because SMM compromise can bypass most OS-level security mechanisms and antivirus protections, enabling stealthy and persistent attacks.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-7029 can be severe. Many enterprises and government agencies rely on GIGABYTE motherboards in their servers and workstations, especially in sectors like finance, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. Successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise at the firmware level, allowing attackers to bypass operating system security controls, access sensitive data, manipulate system behavior, and maintain persistence even after OS reinstallations. This could result in data breaches, espionage, sabotage of industrial control systems, or disruption of critical services. Given the vulnerability requires local high-privilege access, initial compromise vectors might include insider threats, compromised administrative accounts, or malware that escalates privileges. The stealthy nature of SMM-level attacks complicates detection and remediation, increasing the risk of prolonged undetected intrusions. Additionally, the vulnerability affects power and thermal management, which could be manipulated to cause hardware damage or system instability, impacting availability.

Immediate mitigation should focus on limiting local administrative access to trusted personnel and systems, as exploitation requires high privileges. Organizations should implement strict access controls, multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and continuous monitoring for unusual SMM-related activities or firmware anomalies. Since no official patches are currently available, organizations should engage with GIGABYTE for firmware updates or advisories. In the interim, disabling or restricting overclocking features in BIOS/UEFI settings may reduce the attack surface by preventing the vulnerable handler from processing attacker-controlled inputs. Employ hardware-based security features such as Intel Boot Guard or AMD equivalent to protect firmware integrity. Regular firmware integrity checks and secure boot enforcement can help detect unauthorized modifications. Additionally, endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools should be tuned to monitor for privilege escalation attempts and suspicious local activity. Finally, organizations should prepare incident response plans specifically addressing firmware-level compromises.