CVE-2020-0554 in Wireless Bluetooth
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in software installer for some Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R) products on Windows* 7, 8.1 and 10 may allow an unprivileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0554 represents a critical race condition flaw within the software installer component of Intel's wireless bluetooth products, specifically affecting Windows operating systems including versions 7, 8.1, and 10. This issue stems from improper synchronization mechanisms during the installation process, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit temporal inconsistencies in privilege management. The race condition occurs when multiple threads or processes attempt to access shared resources simultaneously without proper mutual exclusion controls, leading to unpredictable system states that can be manipulated by unauthorized users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the installer's failure to properly manage file permissions and registry modifications during the installation sequence. When the installer executes, it creates temporary files and modifies system registry entries that require elevated privileges for proper configuration. However, due to the race condition, an unprivileged user can potentially interfere with this process by creating malicious files with specific names or by manipulating the installation environment before the legitimate installer processes complete their execution. This flaw falls under the CWE-362 category of concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization, which is a well-documented weakness in software security design patterns.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise environments where users may have local access to systems running affected Intel wireless bluetooth software. The privilege escalation potential means that a local attacker could leverage this flaw to gain elevated system privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The impact extends beyond individual systems as attackers could use this vulnerability to establish persistent access, deploy additional malicious software, or exfiltrate sensitive data from the compromised machines. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes local privilege escalation through software exploitation, making it particularly concerning for organizations with limited security monitoring capabilities.
The exploitation of CVE-2020-0554 requires local system access and typically involves a sophisticated attack scenario where an attacker must carefully time their actions to coincide with the installer's execution phase. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the installer level, meaning it can potentially be exploited during routine system maintenance or when users install updates for their bluetooth drivers. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, particularly when evaluating the security posture of systems where users have local accounts with standard privileges. The remediation approach involves applying the latest security patches from Intel and Microsoft, implementing proper access controls to limit local user privileges, and monitoring system installation activities for suspicious behavior. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized installation of potentially malicious software during the vulnerable installation windows.