CVE-2019-11182 in Baseboard Management Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Memory corruption in Intel(R) Baseboard Management Controller firmware may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via network access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11182 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Intel's Baseboard Management Controller firmware implementation. This issue affects the remote management capabilities of enterprise hardware systems, particularly those utilizing Intel's Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) for out-of-band management functions. The BMC serves as a dedicated processor within server hardware that provides remote access to system configuration and monitoring capabilities, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to compromise enterprise infrastructure. The vulnerability arises from improper memory handling within the firmware's network processing components, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures through network-based attacks.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within the BMC firmware's network stack implementation. When processing network packets, the firmware fails to properly validate memory boundaries and buffer sizes, leading to potential memory corruption scenarios that could be exploited by unauthenticated attackers. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though the specific implementation details suggest a more complex memory corruption pattern involving heap or data segment manipulation. The vulnerability manifests when network traffic is processed through the BMC's management interface, allowing attackers to craft malicious packets that trigger the memory corruption during normal processing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it represents a potential gateway for more sophisticated attacks against enterprise infrastructure. While the primary vector appears to enable denial of service through network access, the memory corruption nature suggests that attackers might potentially escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to system management functions. This vulnerability affects a wide range of enterprise servers and hardware platforms that rely on Intel BMC implementations, particularly impacting data center environments where remote management capabilities are extensively used. The unauthenticated nature of the attack vector means that any network-accessible system with an affected BMC could be compromised without requiring prior credentials or access privileges, making it particularly dangerous in exposed environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Intel to address the memory corruption issues within the BMC firmware, while also deploying network segmentation strategies to limit access to BMC management interfaces. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and access controls should be strictly enforced to limit who can reach BMC management interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1499.004 for network denial of service, representing a significant risk to enterprise security posture. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of firmware security testing and the need for continuous vulnerability assessment of embedded system components that operate outside of traditional operating system boundaries.