CVE-2015-2291 in Ethernet Diagnostics Driver
Summary
by MITRE
(1) IQVW32.sys before 1.3.1.0 and (2) IQVW64.sys before 1.3.1.0 in the Intel Ethernet diagnostics driver for Windows allows local users to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges via a crafted (a) 0x80862013, (b) 0x8086200B, (c) 0x8086200F, or (d) 0x80862007 IOCTL call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-2291 affects Intel Ethernet diagnostics drivers for Windows systems, specifically targeting the IQVW32.sys and IQVW64.sys kernel drivers. This issue represents a critical security flaw that enables local attackers to escalate privileges or cause system instability through improper handling of specific IOCTL (Input/Output Control) commands. The affected driver versions prior to 1.3.1.0 demonstrate a fundamental lack of input validation and proper privilege checking mechanisms within the kernel space components.
The technical flaw manifests through four distinct IOCTL command codes that are processed without adequate security checks or validation. These commands with codes 0x80862013, 0x8086200B, 0x8086200F, and 0x80862007 are designed to interact with the network diagnostics functionality but contain insufficient boundary checking and privilege verification. When these commands are submitted to the vulnerable driver, they can trigger memory corruption conditions that allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. This vulnerability falls under CWE-122, which describes improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer, and represents a classic case of buffer overflow or similar memory corruption vulnerability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides local attackers with the ability to achieve privilege escalation from standard user level to kernel level execution. This elevation of privileges enables attackers to bypass standard operating system security controls, access protected memory regions, modify system files, and potentially install persistent backdoors. The denial of service aspect of the vulnerability means that even if code execution is not achieved, system stability can be compromised through memory corruption that leads to system crashes or hangs. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as attackers can leverage the kernel-level access to execute malicious commands with maximum system privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate driver updates to version 1.3.1.0 or later, which contain proper input validation and privilege checking mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as disabling unnecessary network diagnostic features, applying the principle of least privilege, and monitoring for suspicious IOCTL activity. The vulnerability highlights the importance of kernel driver security and demonstrates how poorly implemented IOCTL handlers can create significant security risks. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their network driver installations and consider implementing kernel-mode exploit protection mechanisms to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.