CVE-2018-12153 in Graphics Drivers
Summary
by MITRE
Denial of Service in Unified Shader Compiler in Intel Graphics Drivers before 10.18.x.5056 (aka 15.33.x.5056), 10.18.x.5057 (aka 15.36.x.5057) and 20.19.x.5058 (aka 15.40.x.5058) may allow an unprivileged user from a virtual machine guest to potentially crash the host system via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12153 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Intel Graphics Drivers affecting multiple versions including 10.18.x.5056, 10.18.x.5057, and 20.19.x.5058. This issue specifically targets the unified shader compiler component which is fundamental to graphics processing operations in Intel integrated graphics solutions. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the graphics driver's shader compilation process, creating a pathway for malicious code execution that can cascade from guest virtual machine environments to the underlying host system. The flaw exists in the driver's handling of shader compilation requests and memory management, particularly when processing malformed or specially crafted shader code that could trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves exploitation of the unified shader compiler's processing pipeline where unprivileged users within virtual machine environments can submit malicious shader code that triggers memory corruption in the host graphics driver. This occurs through the hypervisor's graphics virtualization layer where guest operating systems can access graphics hardware through virtualized interfaces. The flaw manifests when the compiler processes certain shader instructions that cause it to allocate insufficient memory or improperly handle memory deallocation during shader compilation. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and CWE-125, out-of-bounds read, as the compiler fails to properly validate shader code inputs before processing them. The attack vector requires local access within a virtual machine environment and leverages the graphics driver's privilege escalation capabilities through the virtualization layer.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-12153 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially compromise entire host systems through a technique known as VM escape or hypervisor breakout. When exploited, the vulnerability allows an unprivileged guest user to execute arbitrary code within the host system context, effectively bypassing virtualization security boundaries. This represents a significant threat to cloud computing environments, virtual desktop infrastructures, and any system relying on virtualization technologies for security isolation. The vulnerability affects systems running Intel graphics drivers in virtualized environments where multiple users share the same physical hardware through virtual machines. The potential for remote exploitation exists when combined with other vulnerabilities, making this particularly dangerous in multi-tenant cloud environments or enterprise virtualized infrastructures. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1055 for privilege escalation and T1073 for kernel or system-level exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-12153 require immediate implementation of driver updates from Intel to versions 15.33.5056, 15.36.5057, and 15.40.5058 or later, which contain patches addressing the memory handling issues in the unified shader compiler. Organizations should implement virtualization security measures including disabling unnecessary graphics virtualization features, implementing strict access controls for virtual machine environments, and monitoring for suspicious graphics processing activities. System administrators should consider isolating graphics-intensive virtual machines from critical systems and implementing network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining updated hypervisor software and implementing proper security monitoring to detect anomalous behavior in virtualized graphics processing. Additionally, organizations should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected Intel graphics drivers and prioritize patch deployment across all virtualized environments. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated drivers to ensure compatibility with existing applications while maintaining system stability and performance.