# CVE-2024-13942: Race condition in RK3588s

> Physical attackers can exploit a TOCTOU flaw in the RK3588s Secure BootROM to execute arbitrary code with highest privileges via external media.

- **Severity:** High 7.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xpxw-ff9m-vh66

## What is CVE-2024-13942?

CVE-2024-13942 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rockchip RK3588s, published on 19 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Secure BootROM of RK3588s SoC is vulnerable to a time-of-check to time-of-use attack in case of booting from external media (SPI NOR or NAND, EMMC or SD).

The code reads the header of the next-stage loader twice. The header contains hashes of the executable modules and is signed with a private key, the public part of which is verified against the SHA256 digest blown in the OTP.

The first read is only partial and contains only the hashes of the executable modules. The second is complete, including the header signature.

Although the header is verified based on the fully read data, the authenticity of the executable modules is checked against the partial data from the first read.

An attacker with physical access to a device containing RK3588s SoC can easily modify the next-stage loader data on-the-fly using a low-cost SD-card or SPI NOR/NAND or EMMC emulator. Even a simple ultra low-cost circuit comprising two memory chips (containing the same data but different headers - the original and the modified one) and a multiplexer can be used to carry out an attack.

This can lead to arbitrary code execution with the highest privileges available (EL3). This issue affects RK3588s: RK3588s SoC BootROM (secure) 350B20210512V100 and possibly others.
As remediation apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable  https://www.rock-chips.com/a/en/products/RK35_Series/2022/0926/1660.html

Weakness: CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-13942?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-13942?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-13942 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-13942 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-13942 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-13942 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-13942 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rockchip RK3588s, published on 19 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-13942 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Rockchip RK3588s. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13942/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13942/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-13942
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-13942
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-13942

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13942/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.