CVE-2018-3661 in System Configuration Utility
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Intel system Configuration utilities selview.exe and syscfg.exe before version 14 build 11 allows a local user to crash these services potentially resulting in a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3661 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Intel's system configuration utilities, specifically affecting the selview.exe and syscfg.exe executables. This issue exists in versions prior to Intel System Configuration Utilities version 14 build 11, creating a significant security risk for systems that rely on these tools for system management and configuration. The buffer overflow vulnerability manifests when these utilities process untrusted input data, allowing malicious actors to exploit the flaw through carefully crafted inputs that exceed the allocated buffer space.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the affected executables. When selview.exe and syscfg.exe receive malformed or excessively large input parameters, the programs fail to properly bounds-check the data before copying it into fixed-size memory buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and causing unexpected behavior. The vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more broadly aligns with CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations. The exploitability of this flaw is particularly concerning because it requires no elevated privileges to execute, as the overflow occurs within local user contexts.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3661 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the buffer overflow can potentially lead to system instability and crashes of critical system management services. Local users who have access to these utilities can leverage the vulnerability to cause system-wide disruptions, particularly in enterprise environments where these tools are frequently used for system diagnostics and configuration management. The cascading effects of such a vulnerability can be severe, as system configuration utilities often serve as foundational components for system administration tasks, making any compromise of these tools potentially devastating to operational continuity. Organizations may experience service interruptions, system reboots, and potential data loss during the periods when these utilities are compromised, with the severity of impact directly correlating to the frequency of utility usage within the environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3661 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Intel to address the buffer overflow vulnerability. System administrators should prioritize updating to Intel System Configuration Utilities version 14 build 11 or later, which includes proper input validation and memory management fixes. Additional defensive measures include implementing least privilege principles to limit user access to these utilities, monitoring system logs for unusual activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify other potential entry points. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques categorized under privilege escalation and denial of service, specifically T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1499 for network denial of service. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted binaries and establish robust incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining current system configurations and the necessity of comprehensive vulnerability management programs that address both known and emerging threats within the Intel ecosystem.