CVE-2020-12359 in Intel
Summary
by MITRE • 06/10/2021
Insufficient control flow management in the firmware for some Intel(R) Processors may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via physical access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical flaw in the firmware of certain Intel processors that stems from inadequate control flow management mechanisms. The issue specifically affects processors that implement certain microcode features and security controls, creating a pathway for privilege escalation when physical access is available to an attacker. The vulnerability falls under the category of firmware-level security weaknesses that can compromise system integrity at the most fundamental level.
The technical root cause involves improper handling of control flow instructions within the processor's microcode execution environment. When a processor executes certain instructions or transitions between execution states, the firmware fails to properly validate or manage the flow of execution, potentially allowing malicious code to manipulate the processor's behavior. This weakness is particularly concerning because it operates at the hardware level, making it difficult to detect and remediate through traditional software-based security measures. The vulnerability is classified as a control flow management issue that aligns with CWE-699 - Software Faults and CWE-756 - Weaknesses in the Control Flow, highlighting the fundamental nature of the flaw in processor architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for systems that rely on physical security measures as their primary defense mechanism. An attacker with physical access to a vulnerable system can potentially exploit this weakness to escalate privileges from user level to administrator or kernel level access. This capability undermines the fundamental security model of modern computing systems, as it allows attackers to bypass operating system protections and gain unauthorized access to system resources. The attack requires only physical presence, making it particularly dangerous in environments where physical security is not adequately enforced, and it can be leveraged for persistent access or data exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on firmware updates from Intel, which address the control flow management issues in the processor microcode. System administrators should prioritize applying the latest firmware patches from Intel and ensuring that all processors in their environment are updated to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, organizations should implement robust physical security controls to limit unauthorized access to systems, as the vulnerability requires physical presence to exploit. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual processor behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and system architects should consider implementing additional runtime protections that can detect and prevent unauthorized control flow modifications. The remediation process should also include verification of the firmware updates through Intel's official validation methods to ensure that the patches have been properly applied and are functioning correctly. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of hardware-level security and the need for comprehensive security approaches that address both software and firmware components of computing systems.