Contrast BadAML injection allows arbitrary code execution

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

8.4 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

BadAML BadAML is an AML injection attack that exploits the ACPI interface and allows arbitrary code execution in a confidential VM. The attack was first published in 2024: - <https://blackhat.com/eu-24/briefings/schedule/#aml-injection-attacks-on-confidential-vms-42723 - <https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3719027.3765123 Impact An attacker with control over the host (which is assumed in the attacker model of Contrast) can execute malicious AML code to gain arbitrary code execution within the confidential guest. AML is byte code embedded in ACPI tables that are passed from the host (QEMU) to the guest firmware (OVMF), and then passed from OVMF to the Linux kernel. The Linux kernel has an interpreter that executes the AML code. An attacker can craft a table with malicious AML code and the kernel will execute it. AML is Turing-complete and the interpreter has access to the full guest memory, including private pages. See the paper for a detailed description and background of the attack.…

Published by the source

26 Mar 2026, 19:49 UTC

Last modified by the source

26 Mar 2026, 19:49 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:18 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-g9ww-x58f-9g6m

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-g9ww-x58f-9g6m

Advisory: Contrast BadAML injection allows arbitrary code execution
IDs: GHSA-g9ww-x58f-9g6m
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-g9ww-x58f-9g6m (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:18 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.4)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: github.com/edgelesssys/contrast 1.18.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/edgelesssys/contrast: affected < 1.18.0; fixed in 1.18.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/edgelesssys/contrast: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/edgelesssys/contrast.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g9ww-x58f-9g6m (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-g9ww-x58f-9g6m lists affected ranges: Go github.com/edgelesssys/contrast >=0 <1.18.0)

Commands are suggestions: review each one before running it.