CVE-2020-0568 in Driver
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in the Intel(R) Driver and Support Assistant before version 20.1.5 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via local access.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0568 represents a race condition flaw within Intel's Driver and Support Assistant software, specifically affecting versions prior to 20.1.5. This race condition manifests as a concurrency issue that arises when multiple threads or processes attempt to access shared resources simultaneously without proper synchronization mechanisms. The flaw exists in the software's handling of local system resources and file operations during driver installation and system support processes. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only local authentication to exploit, meaning any user with valid login credentials on the affected system can potentially trigger the condition. This makes the attack surface relatively broad and accessible to both malicious insiders and attackers who have gained local access through other means.
The technical implementation of this race condition occurs within the software's internal process management and resource allocation routines. When the Intel Driver and Support Assistant performs driver updates or system diagnostic operations, it creates temporary files and modifies system registry entries or configuration files. The race condition emerges when multiple operations attempt to modify the same file or resource simultaneously without proper locking mechanisms or atomic operations. This can lead to corrupted temporary files, inconsistent system states, or complete process termination. The flaw operates at the kernel-level or system-level operations where file handles are not properly synchronized, creating opportunities for timing-based conflicts that can cause the application to crash or become unresponsive. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions that can result in security impacts, and potentially CWE-476 which deals with null pointer dereferences that can occur as a result of improper resource handling.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-0568 extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can severely disrupt system functionality and user productivity. When the race condition is successfully exploited, the Intel Driver and Support Assistant may crash or become unresponsive, preventing users from accessing critical system support features. This can be particularly problematic in enterprise environments where system administrators rely on this tool for driver management and system maintenance tasks. The vulnerability can also potentially lead to incomplete driver installations or corrupted system configurations, which may require manual intervention to resolve. In some scenarios, the application's instability could cause cascading effects where other system processes or services become affected due to the disrupted support assistant functionality. The local access requirement means that the attack vector is relatively straightforward for attackers who have already gained user-level access to the system, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where privilege escalation is possible or where users have administrative rights.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-0568 focus primarily on software updates and system hardening measures. The most effective immediate solution is to upgrade to Intel Driver and Support Assistant version 20.1.5 or later, where the race condition has been addressed through proper synchronization mechanisms and resource management. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management policies to ensure all systems receive updates promptly, particularly in environments where the software is widely deployed. System administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging around the affected software to detect potential exploitation attempts. From an operational security perspective, organizations should review their privilege models to limit local access where possible, as this vulnerability requires only authenticated access to exploit. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1068, which deals with Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, and T1489, which covers Data Destruction, as the denial of service impact can potentially be leveraged to disrupt system availability. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact if local access is compromised, while regular system integrity checks can help detect any unauthorized modifications to the vulnerable software components.