CVE-2017-5700 in NUC7i3BNK
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient protection of password storage in system firmware for Intel NUC7i3BNK, NUC7i3BNH, NUC7i5BNK, NUC7i5BNH, NUC7i7BNH versions BN0049 and below allows local attackers to bypass Administrator and User passwords via access to password storage.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2021
This vulnerability resides in the firmware implementation of specific Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) devices including models NUC7i3BNK, NUC7i3BNH, NUC7i5BNK, NUC7i5BNH, and NUC7i7BNH with firmware versions BN0049 and earlier. The flaw represents a critical weakness in the system's security architecture where password protection mechanisms fail to adequately safeguard authentication credentials stored within the firmware layer. The vulnerability stems from insufficient cryptographic protection and secure storage practices implemented in the firmware's password handling mechanisms.
The technical implementation flaw manifests as inadequate encryption or obfuscation of password hashes and authentication data within the system firmware. Attackers with local access can exploit this weakness to extract stored password information directly from the firmware memory or storage areas. This represents a direct violation of security principles where authentication credentials should remain protected even when stored in non-volatile memory. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass both administrator and user level password protections, effectively undermining the entire authentication framework of these devices. The flaw operates at the firmware level, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited before the operating system has fully initialized and established its own security controls.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for environments where these Intel NUC devices are deployed as critical infrastructure components. Local attackers who gain physical access to these systems or those with network-based access can trivially bypass password protections, potentially gaining unauthorized administrative access to sensitive systems. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as attackers can subsequently compromise the entire system, install malicious software, or establish persistent backdoors. This vulnerability directly affects the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete system compromise, especially in environments where these devices serve as network gateways or edge computing nodes. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where these devices might be used for critical operations and where physical security controls may be insufficient.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates from Intel to address the password storage protection weaknesses. Organizations should implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized access to these devices, particularly in public or shared environments. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit potential attack vectors, while regular security audits should verify that firmware updates have been properly deployed. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-310 (CWE-310: Cryptographic Issues) categories, representing poor cryptographic implementation and insecure data storage practices. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1003 (OS Credential Dumping) and T1014 (Rootkit), as it enables attackers to access system credentials and potentially establish persistent access. Organizations should also consider implementing hardware security modules or trusted platform modules to provide additional protection for sensitive authentication data, and establish robust patch management procedures to ensure firmware updates are applied promptly across all affected systems.