AMD has quietly pushed a new set of chipset and RAID packages that bring explicit Windows 11 version 25H2 compatibility and a security-focused firmware/driver change — most notably the addition of Microsoft’s Control‑flow Enforcement Technology (CET) compatibility flags to multiple chipset drivers — while also shipping a refreshed RAIDXpert2 RAID stack that warns administrators to exercise caution before upgrading production systems.
Microsoft’s CET (Control‑flow Enforcement Technology) is a hardware-assisted protection mechanism designed to make control‑flow hijacking attacks — such as Return‑Oriented Programming (ROP) and Call/Jump‑Oriented Programming (C/JOP) — substantially harder by enforcing a Shadow Stack and Indirect Branch Targeting (IBT). AMD’s latest Ryzen chipset driver package, released as AMD Ryzen™ Chipset Driver 6.10.17.152, marks several chipset driver binaries with Microsoft’s /CETCOMPAT linker flag so Windows can treat those components as CET‑aware. This change is meaningful: it moves more platform-level components into the CET compatibility surface, increasing the number of driver/firmware elements that can interoperate with CET protections on Windows 11. At the same time, AMD’s RAID team distributed an updated RAIDXpert2 package — commonly reported as version 9.3.3.00245 — that explicitly calls out compatibility with Windows 11, version 25H2. That RAIDXpert2 build contains GUI fixes and a new RAID driver image, but the release notes also repeat well‑known cautions about the fragile nature of RAID driver updates (including a requirement for consecutive reboots and installation caveats that can affect OS installation to RAID arrays). This double release — a chipset package with CETCOMPAT flags and a RAID package aligned to Windows 11 25H2 — is significant because it ties AMD’s low‑level driver stack to Microsoft's latest Windows servicing baseline while also introducing a security posture change that can affect how endpoint security and system stability interplay.
The net effect is positive from a security posture perspective: CET adoption becomes easier and more credible on AMD‑based platforms. However, the practical implications are operational. System builders, IT administrators, and power users must weigh the benefits against the known packaging oddities, the risks of RAID updates, and the testing burden that these kernel‑level changes demand.
Treat the rollout as a coordinated systems upgrade: read the release notes, stage the updates, back up your data, and validate both CET interactions and RAID behavior before broad deployment. The protection CET offers is an important step forward — but the path to safe adoption runs through testing, verification, and conservative change management.
Source: Neowin https://www.neowin.net/news/amds-ne...s-updates-for-ryzen-9000-8000-7000-6000-5000/
Background / Overview
Microsoft’s CET (Control‑flow Enforcement Technology) is a hardware-assisted protection mechanism designed to make control‑flow hijacking attacks — such as Return‑Oriented Programming (ROP) and Call/Jump‑Oriented Programming (C/JOP) — substantially harder by enforcing a Shadow Stack and Indirect Branch Targeting (IBT). AMD’s latest Ryzen chipset driver package, released as AMD Ryzen™ Chipset Driver 6.10.17.152, marks several chipset driver binaries with Microsoft’s /CETCOMPAT linker flag so Windows can treat those components as CET‑aware. This change is meaningful: it moves more platform-level components into the CET compatibility surface, increasing the number of driver/firmware elements that can interoperate with CET protections on Windows 11. At the same time, AMD’s RAID team distributed an updated RAIDXpert2 package — commonly reported as version 9.3.3.00245 — that explicitly calls out compatibility with Windows 11, version 25H2. That RAIDXpert2 build contains GUI fixes and a new RAID driver image, but the release notes also repeat well‑known cautions about the fragile nature of RAID driver updates (including a requirement for consecutive reboots and installation caveats that can affect OS installation to RAID arrays). This double release — a chipset package with CETCOMPAT flags and a RAID package aligned to Windows 11 25H2 — is significant because it ties AMD’s low‑level driver stack to Microsoft's latest Windows servicing baseline while also introducing a security posture change that can affect how endpoint security and system stability interplay.What’s in the chipset package (6.10.17.152)
Release highlights and headline changes
- The package is published as AMD Ryzen™ Chipset Driver 6.10.17.152. Release highlights call out new program support, CETCOMPAT support added for several drivers on Windows 11, and a set of routine bug fixes.
- Several discrete drivers show CET compatibility changes in the package contents: AMD I2C Driver, AMD UART Driver, AMD GPIO2 Driver, PT GPIO Driver, AMD PSP Driver, and others are labelled with CET support in the release notes. Those are the actual binary modules that have been updated to include the /CETCOMPAT linker marking, which signals to Windows and to administrators that these components have been prepared to function in environments using CET protections.
Processor and chipset coverage
The release notes enumerate supported chipsets and processors. Key points:- The driver explicitly lists compatibility across large swathes of the Ryzen family: Ryzen 9000, Ryzen 8000G, Ryzen 7000 (desktop & mobile), Ryzen 5000 (desktop) and broad mobile families that include the 6000 mobile series. Where Windows 11‑only support is relevant (for example, some newer processor lines), the release notes make that distinction. In other words, the package is intended to serve AM5 and many AM4 platforms, covering mainstream desktop, mobile, and workstation SKUs referenced in the official notes.
- The package also lists continued support for older chipsets (X570, B550, A520, etc., so this is not a Windows‑11‑only push that abandons previous platforms. However, the release notes do indicate a few one‑way drops for very early-generation parts in Windows 11 columns (for example, some first‑gen Threadripper/first‑gen Ryzen desktop entries differ in Windows 11 support). Administrators should inspect the processor compatibility table in the release notes for their specific SKU.
Known issues called out by AMD
AMD’s official release notes repeat several non-trivial known issues that matter to installers:- On non‑English operating systems, some driver names may still display in English.
- The uninstall summary log may incorrectly show an uninstall as “Failed” even when the uninstall was successful.
- The Ryzen PPKG provisioning package occasionally fails to install or upgrade, which can affect OEM provisioning workflows and scripted driver provisioning.
Why CETCOMPAT matters — practical security and stability tradeoffs
The security upside
- Stronger platform-level defense: CET’s Shadow Stack and IBT make common code‑reuse attacks materially harder. By marking chipset drivers as CET‑compatible, AMD is reducing the attack surface where a kernel/driver-level vulnerability could be used to undermine CET protections in userland code. For organizations prioritizing defense‑in‑depth, that’s a meaningful step.
- Easier enterprise adoption of CET: Enterprises that want to enable CET (or to ensure their security stack can interoperate with it) will find fewer driver-level blockers. That lowers the friction for deploying CET as part of a secure baseline on Windows 11 endpoints.
The stability and operational risk
- Driver‑level regressions remain possible. Changing binary flags and link‑time options can have unintended interactions with platform firmware or other kernel-mode components. CET adds constraints to how returns and indirect branches are validated; drivers that are only superficially marked CETCOMPAT but that contain unforeseen control‑flow behavior could produce stability issues under certain workloads.
- Testing burden for integrators and OEMs. System builders and OEM support teams must validate CET‑enabled driver stacks across their validated BIOS/UEFI versions and across typical images used in their fleets. The small known issues AMD listed (uninstall logs, provisioning package failures) are packaging signals that suggest administrators should not treat this as a zero‑risk hotfix.
- Security vs. compatibility tradeoffs. Some legacy drivers or third‑party kernel components may not yet be CET‑aware. Enabling CET without validating a system image in a staging environment can surface compatibility issues with third‑party tools that still rely on older control‑flow assumptions.
The RAID package and Windows 11 25H2 compatibility
What shipped
- AMD’s RAID package (RAIDXpert2) was updated with a new driver and utility build commonly cited as 9.3.3.00245, and the release notes explicitly state support for Windows 11 25H2. The package includes GUI fixes, a refreshed RAIDXpert2, and fixes for sporadic device drop issues.
Why this is important
- Microsoft’s servicing baseline for consumer Windows 11 systems has moved to 25H2; AMD aligning its RAID stack to that baseline means the vendor expects users to upgrade client OS builds to that version and wants its RAID management tools to report compatibility. For enthusiasts who rebuild systems or administrators who manage OS rollout, this is the vendor signalling support for the newest Windows servicing branch.
The red flags — why RAID upgrades deserve caution
- Two consecutive reboots required: The RAID driver requires that, when performing an upgrade/downgrade, the system be rebooted twice in sequence for the RAID drivers to fully initialize. Failing to follow this can leave the RAID stack partially initialized and result in array visibility problems.
- OS installation caveats: AMD’s notes warn that OS installation may fail when the OS is being installed to a RAID array that is not the first RAID array in the system. That’s a practical hazard for multi‑array setups that split boot and data across separate arrays.
- Data‑loss risk: RAID is inherently a storage abstraction that sits close to the data path. Driver regressions or installer failures can render arrays inaccessible; the release notes and community reporting both underscore that rare but consequential failures have occurred in prior RAIDXpert2 lineages. Administrators must treat RAID upgrades with the same conservatism reserved for firmware upgrades on storage controllers.
Cross‑verification and what independent sources say
- AMD’s official release notes for Chipset Driver 6.10.17.152 are explicit about the /CETCOMPAT changes and list the individual drivers with CET support. Those release notes are the authoritative primary source for what was shipped.
- Reporting from press outlets that covered the release (the package appeared in mainstream tech news) confirmed the CET change and reiterated the processor coverage signals from the AMD notes; that second viewpoint provides independent corroboration useful for readers who want a concise summary of what changed.
- AMD’s RAID release notes for the RAIDXpert2 9.3.3.00245 package independently document that the RAID build is Windows 11 25H2 ready and list the same operational cautions about double reboots and limitations during OS installation. That confirms AMD’s explicit compatibility stance for 25H2.
Practical guidance — how to approach these updates (step‑by‑step)
- Back up critical data (especially RAID arrays). Always perform a full backup before any RAID or chipset driver change.
- Read the release notes in full for the specific driver package and the RAID package; verify that your exact chipset/motherboard SKU and processor are listed. AMD’s notes include per‑SKU tables and per‑driver tables — use them.
- Stage the update in a non‑production environment first; for RAID systems, validate array visibility after the first restart and confirm the second reboot behavior required by AMD.
- If you manage a fleet, use an imaging or management solution to perform a canary cohort rollout rather than a blanket push.
- For end users: prefer the vendor page download if your motherboard vendor recommends the bundled OEM package (OEM vendor installers may include motherboard‑specific INF files and additional firmware checks). If you use the AMD generic package, confirm BIOS/UEFI versions recommended by your board vendor.
- Keep recovery media (a bootable Windows PE image or vendor rescue media) on hand when performing RAID driver/firmware upgrades.
- If you rely on third‑party kernel modules (security, virtualization, hypervisors), validate those modules under CET‑enabled configurations before enabling CET broadly.
Enterprise and security operations considerations
- Endpoint hardening: Security teams that want to enable CET across an estate should coordinate with platform teams to ensure the chipset drivers are deployed and validated. The presence of CETCOMPAT flags reduces friction but doesn’t eliminate the need to confirm third‑party driver compatibility.
- Patch windows and rollback plans: Because the release notes flag provisioning and uninstall summary oddities, IT teams should ensure they have a tested rollback plan (driver package recovery, system restore, or a known working image) before mass deployment.
- Compliance and telemetry: Security teams that rely on endpoint telemetry should confirm whether CET enabling changes event streams or endpoint detection and response (EDR) behavior. Some EDR/hardening agents interact with control‑flow protections differently; run vendor compatibility tests.
What this update does not promise
- This chipset release is not primarily a performance patch. While other Windows and AMD packages over recent months have targeted gaming performance and branch prediction improvements, the 6.10.17.152 chipset package’s explicit aim is CET compatibility and bug fixes. Do not expect game‑level frame rate uplift from this chipset installer alone.
- It is not a universal toggle that fixes all security gaps. CET is one layer among many. Hardware, OS, firmware, and application code must all work together for CET to reach its potential. The chipset driver changes are a piece of the puzzle — an important one — but not a single‑click panacea.
Risks and edge cases worth calling out
- Installer packaging quirks: The release notes’ mention of uninstall log misreports and PPKG install problems are small signals that packaging quality control should be watched. For mass imaging or automated deployments, these packaging quirks can complicate automation and reporting.
- Partial CET compatibility risk: If a system mixes CET‑marked drivers and non‑CET drivers, unusual control‑flow interactions can surface. While Windows is designed to tolerate mixed environments, edge cases in older or uncommon third‑party drivers should be validated.
- RAID fragility and data safety: RAID upgrades remain the highest‑risk area in these updates. The double‑reboot requirement and the OS‑installation caveats are the practical reasons to delay RAID upgrades until maintenance windows and backups are in place.
Recommended posture (short checklist)
- For enthusiasts: test the chipset installer on a spare system before applying to a daily driver; prefer board‑maker recommendations for chipset package installs.
- For gamers expecting performance gains: focus on other vendor releases targeted at performance (Windows patches tied to branch‑prediction improvements or GPU driver updates) rather than this security‑oriented chipset installer.
- For administrators and IT pros: stage test groups, back up data, confirm RAID array behavior after the first and second reboots, and keep rollback methods available.
- For security teams: coordinate CET rollouts with platform/driver teams; validate EDR and hypervisor interactions prior to enabling CET in production.
Conclusion
AMD’s chipset driver release 6.10.17.152 is a pragmatic, security‑focused update: it formalizes CET compatibility for multiple chipset driver components and expands the vendor’s published support matrix across current Ryzen families. The RAIDXpert2 9.3.3.00245 package that calls out Windows 11 25H2 readiness is the companion story — an alignment to Microsoft’s servicing baseline that comes with the familiar caveats of storage‑driver risk.The net effect is positive from a security posture perspective: CET adoption becomes easier and more credible on AMD‑based platforms. However, the practical implications are operational. System builders, IT administrators, and power users must weigh the benefits against the known packaging oddities, the risks of RAID updates, and the testing burden that these kernel‑level changes demand.
Treat the rollout as a coordinated systems upgrade: read the release notes, stage the updates, back up your data, and validate both CET interactions and RAID behavior before broad deployment. The protection CET offers is an important step forward — but the path to safe adoption runs through testing, verification, and conservative change management.
Source: Neowin https://www.neowin.net/news/amds-ne...s-updates-for-ryzen-9000-8000-7000-6000-5000/
