CVE-2020-0510 in Graphics Drivers
Summary
by MITRE
Out of bounds read in some Intel(R) Graphics Drivers before versions 15.45.31.5127 and 15.40.45.5126 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical out of bounds read flaw in Intel graphics drivers that affects systems running specific versions prior to 15.45.31.5127 and 15.40.45.5126. The issue stems from improper input validation within the graphics driver component that handles certain graphical operations and memory management functions. When a user executes specific graphical workloads or renders particular graphics content, the driver fails to properly bounds-check memory accesses, leading to a situation where the processor reads data from memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This flaw falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-125 which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities that can result in information disclosure or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption as it provides a potential pathway for privilege escalation. An authenticated user with local access to a system can exploit this flaw to gain elevated privileges, typically moving from standard user context to administrative or kernel-level access. This occurs because the out of bounds read allows malicious code to potentially overwrite critical system structures or access memory regions that should be protected from user-space access. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users may have legitimate access to systems but could leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized control over system resources. This type of attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated user context, meaning that the attacker must first have valid login credentials to the system. However, once exploited, the privilege escalation could enable attackers to access sensitive system files, modify critical system components, or even install persistent backdoors. The graphics driver component is particularly attractive to attackers because it typically runs with elevated privileges to handle hardware operations and graphics rendering tasks. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and bounds checking in system-level software components, especially those that handle user input or process graphical data. The flaw underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of driver components and the implementation of robust input validation mechanisms to prevent such memory safety issues.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate installation of the patched driver versions released by Intel, which address the bounds checking issues in the graphics driver code. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as restricting local access to systems, monitoring for unusual graphics-related processes, and ensuring that users have the minimum necessary privileges to perform their required tasks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date system components and the necessity of regular security assessments of driver software. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections and monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical security implications that can arise from seemingly minor flaws in system components that operate with elevated privileges and handle sensitive data processing tasks.