CVE-2018-3610 in Driver
Summary
by MITRE
SEMA driver in Intel Driver and Support Assistant before version 3.1.1 allows a local attacker the ability to read and writing to Memory Status registers potentially allowing information disclosure or a denial of service condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3610 affects the SEMA driver component within Intel Driver and Support Assistant software, specifically impacting versions prior to 3.1.1. This flaw represents a significant security concern as it enables local attackers to manipulate Memory Status registers through the driver interface, creating potential pathways for information disclosure and system disruption. The SEMA driver serves as a critical component for managing system drivers and support functionalities within Intel's ecosystem, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it resides within a privileged software module that interacts directly with system hardware components. The flaw exists due to insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the driver's memory management functions, allowing unauthorized local users to execute arbitrary read and write operations against sensitive memory regions. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which encompasses out-of-bounds read conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-264, representing permissions, privileges, and access controls issues within the driver's memory management subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate critical system memory registers that govern hardware behavior and system status reporting. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can potentially read sensitive memory locations containing system configuration data, hardware status information, or other confidential operational details that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The write functionality further amplifies the threat landscape, as it allows for the modification of system memory contents, which could lead to system instability, denial of service conditions, or even enable more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation or persistent system compromise. The local nature of this attack vector means that an attacker must already have a valid user account on the target system, but this requirement significantly reduces the attack surface compared to remote exploitation methods. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials and privileges to gain system access, and T1059, representing command and scripting interpreter usage for system manipulation. The threat model suggests that this vulnerability could be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users have local access to systems running vulnerable versions of Intel Driver and Support Assistant.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3610 primarily focus on immediate software updates and system hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating to Intel Driver and Support Assistant version 3.1.1 or later, which includes patched implementations of the SEMA driver with proper memory access controls and input validation. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as disabling unnecessary driver components, restricting local user privileges where possible, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to system memory regions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege separation and memory management within driver software, highlighting the need for comprehensive security testing of system-level components. Security professionals should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all systems running affected versions, particularly focusing on identifying and restricting access to potentially vulnerable driver interfaces. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can monitor for suspicious memory access patterns or unauthorized driver interactions that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include verifying the integrity of the updated software installations through checksum validation and ensuring that all related system components maintain proper access controls and privilege boundaries. Given the nature of the vulnerability, regular security audits of system driver components and continuous monitoring for similar memory management flaws should be part of ongoing cybersecurity practices to prevent similar issues from emerging in the future.