CVE-2016-2243 in Commercial PC
Summary
by MITRE
Sure Start on HP Commercial PCs 2015 allows local users to cause a denial of service (BIOS recovery failure) by leveraging administrative access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2243 affects HP Commercial PCs that implement Sure Start technology, a security feature designed to protect against firmware-level attacks and unauthorized modifications. This flaw specifically targets the BIOS recovery mechanism within the Sure Start framework, creating a potential avenue for denial of service conditions when exploited by local users with administrative privileges. The vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the system's integrity protection mechanisms, as it allows authenticated attackers to compromise the device's ability to recover from BIOS corruption or malicious modifications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and error handling within the Sure Start BIOS recovery process. When an authenticated local user with administrative access manipulates specific system parameters or triggers particular recovery sequences, the system fails to properly validate the recovery request, leading to a complete failure of the BIOS recovery mechanism. This flaw operates at the firmware level, making it particularly dangerous as it can render the device inoperable and require physical intervention for recovery. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which deals with inadequate access control mechanisms, and specifically relates to improper privilege management within system firmware components.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2243 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of affected HP Commercial PCs. Organizations relying on these devices for business-critical operations face significant risks including extended downtime, potential data loss, and increased recovery costs. The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised administrative accounts, making it particularly concerning in enterprise environments where privileged access is prevalent. The attack surface is limited to local users with administrative privileges, but this access level is often widespread within corporate networks, increasing the potential for exploitation. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers system recovery and restoration attacks, and T1068, which addresses local privilege escalation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require a multi-layered approach combining immediate administrative actions with long-term security enhancements. Organizations should ensure that administrative access is strictly controlled through principle of least privilege, implementing strong authentication mechanisms and regular access reviews. System administrators should disable Sure Start functionality when not required and maintain detailed documentation of all firmware modifications. Regular firmware updates from HP should be applied promptly, as the vendor likely released patches addressing this specific recovery mechanism flaw. Network segmentation can help limit the potential impact by restricting access to administrative functions. Additionally, implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions that detect unusual BIOS recovery attempts can provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts, while maintaining offline backup recovery procedures ensures business continuity during incident response.