CVE-2019-11171 in Baseboard Management Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Heap corruption in Intel(R) Baseboard Management Controller firmware may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure, escalation of privilege and/or denial of service via network access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11171 represents a critical heap corruption flaw within Intel's Baseboard Management Controller firmware implementation. This issue affects the remote management capabilities of enterprise hardware systems, specifically targeting the firmware that governs out-of-band management functions. The heap corruption vulnerability arises from improper memory management practices within the firmware's network handling routines, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by unauthenticated remote adversaries. The affected systems typically include servers and network equipment that utilize Intel's BMC implementations for remote monitoring and management purposes, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where such devices are extensively deployed.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking and memory allocation validation within the BMC firmware's response handling mechanisms. When processing network requests, the firmware fails to properly validate input parameters against allocated memory boundaries, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that can overwrite adjacent heap memory regions. This heap corruption can lead to unpredictable behavior including arbitrary code execution, information disclosure through memory leaks, or system instability resulting in denial of service conditions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-122 as "Heap Overflow" and specifically manifests as a heap-based buffer overflow that can be triggered through network-based attacks against the BMC's web interface or IPMI protocols.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise security postures as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical system management functions. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that any network-connected device with an affected BMC firmware is potentially vulnerable to attack without requiring prior authentication credentials. Successful exploitation could allow threat actors to escalate privileges to system administrator levels, extract sensitive configuration data, or disrupt service availability through denial of service conditions. The impact extends beyond individual device compromise as BMCs often serve as central management points for entire server fleets, potentially enabling attackers to gain lateral movement capabilities within network infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1072 for "Software Deployment Tools" and T1566 for "Phishing for Information" when considering the potential for initial access vectors and privilege escalation paths.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-11171 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Intel and affected vendors, as these patches address the underlying heap corruption issues through improved memory management and input validation mechanisms. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to restrict access to BMC management interfaces, particularly limiting access to trusted administrative networks. Organizations should also deploy network monitoring solutions capable of detecting anomalous BMC traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of BMC configurations and access controls should be conducted to ensure that default credentials are changed and unnecessary services are disabled. Additionally, implementing intrusion detection systems specifically tuned to monitor for known exploit signatures targeting BMC firmware vulnerabilities can provide early warning capabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware across all management components and highlights the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that address both software and firmware security aspects of enterprise infrastructure.