CVE-2019-11151 in WiFi Driver
Summary
by MITRE
Memory corruption issues in Intel(R) WIFI Drivers before version 21.40 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege, denial of service, and information disclosure via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11151 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Intel Wireless LAN drivers that affects systems running versions prior to 21.40. This issue resides in the kernel-level components of the wireless driver infrastructure, specifically within the management of memory allocations and deallocations during network packet processing. The vulnerability manifests when the driver fails to properly validate memory operations, creating potential pathways for malicious code execution and system compromise. The flaw exists in the driver's handling of wireless network communications and memory management structures, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged users have access to system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the Intel wireless driver kernel modules. When processing wireless network frames or managing memory pools for network communications, the driver fails to perform adequate bounds checking or memory validation before executing memory operations. This allows a privileged user with local access to manipulate memory structures through crafted network packets or driver interactions, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. These memory corruption issues create opportunities for attackers to manipulate the driver's memory layout and potentially gain elevated privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-11151 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass denial of service and information disclosure capabilities. A malicious privileged user can leverage this vulnerability to crash the wireless driver service, causing complete network connectivity disruption for the affected system. Additionally, the memory corruption can expose sensitive kernel memory contents, potentially revealing system information, credentials, or other confidential data. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires only local access with privileged user rights, making it exploitable in scenarios where users have legitimate administrative access to systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and T1499, which addresses network denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-11151 primarily focus on updating to Intel Wireless LAN driver version 21.40 or later, which contains patches addressing the memory corruption issues. System administrators should implement immediate driver updates across all affected systems, particularly those running Windows operating systems with Intel wireless network adapters. Additional protective measures include implementing least privilege principles to limit local access rights, monitoring for anomalous network driver behavior, and ensuring proper access controls on wireless network configurations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular driver updates and kernel security reviews, as memory corruption flaws in device drivers represent common attack vectors in enterprise security environments. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive security posture through regular vulnerability assessments and patch management processes.