CVE-2018-12193 in QuickAssist Technology for Linux
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient access control in driver stack for Intel QuickAssist Technology for Linux before version 4.2 may allow an unprivileged user to potentially disclose information via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12193 represents a critical access control flaw within the Intel QuickAssist Technology driver stack for Linux systems. This issue affects versions prior to 4.2 and stems from inadequate privilege validation mechanisms that govern how system resources are accessed and managed. The flaw exists at the kernel driver level where proper authorization checks fail to adequately verify user permissions before granting access to sensitive operational interfaces. The vulnerability specifically impacts the Intel QuickAssist Technology which is designed to accelerate cryptographic operations and data compression tasks through dedicated hardware acceleration units. When exploited, this weakness allows unprivileged local users to potentially access restricted memory regions and system information that should only be available to privileged processes or administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms within software systems. The flaw manifests when the driver fails to properly enforce privilege separation between user-space applications and kernel-space operations, creating an attack surface where malicious users can bypass normal security boundaries. This occurs because the driver stack does not adequately validate the credentials or privileges of processes attempting to access specific hardware interfaces or memory regions. The affected system components include the kernel modules responsible for managing the QuickAssist hardware accelerators, particularly those handling cryptographic operations and data processing functions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to read kernel memory contents, potentially extracting sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, session data, or other confidential system parameters.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-12193 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a persistent security risk for systems utilizing Intel QuickAssist Technology. Local users who might not have administrative privileges can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to system resources that are typically protected by kernel-level access controls. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where different users share the same system, as it provides a means for privilege escalation or information gathering that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. The implications are further amplified in cloud computing environments or shared hosting scenarios where tenant isolation is critical for maintaining security boundaries. Systems running older versions of the Intel QuickAssist driver are particularly vulnerable because they lack the updated access control mechanisms that were introduced in version 4.2 and later releases.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on updating to the patched version of the Intel QuickAssist Technology driver stack, specifically version 4.2 or later. System administrators should implement immediate patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems are updated with the latest security fixes from Intel. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts to kernel interfaces. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1068 technique for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and T1005 for "Data from Local System," highlighting the potential for both privilege escalation and information gathering activities. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to minimize the attack surface, while regular security assessments should verify that the updated drivers are properly installed and functioning. Organizations should also implement proper access control policies that restrict local user privileges and monitor for anomalous system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.