CVE-2014-4768 in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) on Flex System x880 X6, System x3850 X6, and System x3950 X6 devices allows remote authenticated users to cause an unspecified temporary denial of service by using privileged access to enable a legacy boot mode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4768 affects IBM Unified Extensible Firmware Interface implementations across specific Flex System and IBM System x server models including the x880 X6, x3850 X6, and x3950 X6 devices. This flaw represents a significant security concern within the firmware layer of enterprise computing infrastructure, as it enables authenticated attackers with privileged access to disrupt system operations through manipulation of boot configuration parameters.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of legacy boot mode settings within the UEFI firmware environment. When authenticated users with appropriate privileges enable legacy boot mode functionality, the system experiences an unspecified temporary denial of service condition. This represents a privilege escalation and denial of service vector that operates at the firmware level, bypassing traditional operating system security controls and potentially affecting system availability during critical operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability impacts enterprise server environments where system uptime and reliability are paramount. The temporary denial of service condition can result in service interruptions that may affect business operations, particularly in mission-critical environments where continuous availability is required. The attack requires authenticated access with privileged credentials, limiting the attack surface but still representing a serious concern for organizations with proper access controls in place.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates how firmware-level access controls can be exploited to create denial of service conditions. From the ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a technique that could be categorized under privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, potentially enabling attackers to maintain persistent access to system resources through firmware manipulation.
Organizations should implement strict access controls and privileged access management procedures to prevent unauthorized users from manipulating UEFI boot configurations. Regular firmware updates from IBM should be applied to address this vulnerability, and system administrators should monitor for unusual boot mode changes. Network segmentation and monitoring of firmware access patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while maintaining detailed audit logs of UEFI configuration changes provides essential forensic capabilities for incident response and security analysis.