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Skitter Creek Bath Salts: security flaw in AMD 15h/16h CPUs exposes protected memory

Feeds.4Sysops •IT News • August 14, 2026

A single instruction can disable a memory-address scrambling feature on older AMD 15h and 16h processors, exposing the Platform Security Processor, System Management Mode, and microcode storage. The Skitter Creek Bath Salts attack gives code with kernel-level access a path to read and modify normally protected firmware memory, while AMD says the affected chips are no longer in regular security support. Source

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

New DRAM Scrambling Attack Compromises AMD CPU Security Features Security researcher Christopher Domas has unveiled a new attack technique called 'skitter-creek-bath-salts' that exploits vulnerabilities in AMD Family 15h and 16h processors. This attack manipulates the memory controller to disable address scrambling, allowing unauthorized access to critical areas such as the Platform Security Processor (PSP), System Management Mode (SMM), and microcode storage. The proof-of-concept project demonstrates how an attacker with kernel-level access can read and modify protected firmware memory. AMD has stated that the affected processors are no longer under regular security support. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to systems still using these older AMD CPUs, as it bypasses hardware-enforced memory isolation. The attack highlights the ongoing challenges in securing legacy hardware against modern threats. 5 sources 62

Skitter Creek Bath Salts: security flaw in AMD 15h/16h CPUs exposes protected memory

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