CVE-2018-3613 in EDK II
Summary
by MITRE
Logic issue in variable service module for EDK II/UDK2018/UDK2017/UDK2015 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege, information disclosure and/or denial of service via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3613 represents a critical logic flaw within the variable service module of the UEFI Development Kit II framework versions 2015 through 2018. This issue affects the underlying implementation of variable storage and management mechanisms that are fundamental to UEFI firmware operations across multiple platform configurations. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of variable attributes and access controls within the variable service module, creating potential pathways for malicious exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient validation of variable attribute flags during variable creation and modification operations. Specifically, the variable service module fails to properly enforce access control restrictions when processing variable requests from authenticated users. This logical error allows an attacker with local access to manipulate variable attributes in ways that should be restricted, potentially enabling unauthorized modification of critical system variables that control firmware behavior. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-284 access control weakness, specifically involving improper access control mechanisms within firmware components.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple security domains including privilege escalation, information disclosure, and denial of service conditions. An authenticated local user can exploit this weakness to elevate their privileges within the UEFI environment, potentially gaining access to system-level variables that control firmware security policies. The information disclosure aspect allows attackers to read protected variable data that should remain confidential, while the denial of service component can render the firmware unstable or unresponsive through malformed variable operations. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity of the UEFI boot process and can compromise the security of the entire system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3613 should focus on implementing proper input validation and access control enforcement within the variable service module. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of EDK II frameworks that address the logic flaw in variable attribute handling. Security professionals should implement monitoring for unusual variable modification patterns and establish proper access controls for firmware interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through firmware manipulation and credential access through system variable exploitation. Regular firmware updates and proper security configuration management remain essential defensive measures against this class of firmware-level vulnerabilities that can undermine system security foundations.