CVE-2016-8032 in Security Anti-Virus Engine
Summary
by MITRE
Software Integrity Attacks vulnerability in Intel Security Anti-Virus Engine (AVE) 5200 through 5800 allows local attackers to bypass local security protection via a crafted input file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2022
The CVE-2016-8032 vulnerability represents a critical software integrity attack flaw within Intel Security Anti-Virus Engine version 5200 through 5800, specifically targeting the AVE 5200 series products. This vulnerability resides in the core antivirus engine's ability to process and validate input files, creating a pathway for local attackers to circumvent established security protections. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental weakness in how the system handles crafted malicious inputs, allowing unauthorized users with local access to manipulate the security mechanisms that are designed to protect against such threats.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the antivirus engine's processing pipeline. Attackers can exploit this weakness by preparing specially crafted input files that manipulate the engine's parsing logic, effectively causing the system to misinterpret the file content and bypass critical security checks. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of input validation failures and aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation in software systems. The vulnerability specifically targets the engine's ability to properly analyze and classify potentially malicious files, allowing attackers to craft inputs that evade detection mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations relying on Intel Security products within their defensive infrastructure. Local attackers who can execute code on a target system gain the ability to bypass critical antivirus protections that would normally detect and prevent malicious activities. This creates a dangerous scenario where the very security tools designed to protect against threats become ineffective against insider attacks or compromised local accounts. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to maintain persistence while evading detection mechanisms, potentially leading to extended compromise periods and increased lateral movement capabilities within affected networks.
The attack vector for CVE-2016-8032 requires local system access, making it particularly concerning for environments where privilege escalation or local compromise is possible. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and T1566, which addresses spearphishing attacks that can lead to local system access. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability can be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated compromise scenarios, where initial access is gained through social engineering or exploitation of other vulnerabilities, followed by leveraging CVE-2016-8032 to bypass antivirus protections.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through official Intel Security updates and patches that address the input validation issues within the AVE engine. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious file processing activities and consider deploying network-based detection mechanisms to identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that do not rely solely on endpoint protection mechanisms. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for similar input validation weaknesses in other security tools and applications within the organization's infrastructure.
The broader implications of CVE-2016-8032 extend beyond immediate exploitation scenarios, as it demonstrates how security products themselves can contain vulnerabilities that undermine their effectiveness. This type of flaw represents a critical concern in cybersecurity defense strategies, where the assumption that security tools are impenetrable can lead to false confidence and inadequate monitoring. Organizations should consider implementing multi-layered security approaches that include behavioral monitoring, anomaly detection, and regular penetration testing to identify potential bypass mechanisms before they can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability also underscores the need for continuous security validation and the importance of not relying on a single point of defense, especially when that defense is itself potentially compromised.