CVE-2020-24481 in Quartus Prime Pro
Summary
by MITRE • 02/17/2021
Insecure inherited permissions for the Intel(R) Quartus Prime Pro and Standard edition software may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24481 affects Intel(R) Quartus Prime Pro and Standard edition software installations, representing a critical security flaw in the permission model implementation. This issue stems from insecure inherited permissions that are improperly configured during the software installation process, creating potential pathways for privilege escalation. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess local access to systems running the affected Intel Quartus software, making it particularly concerning for development environments where multiple users may have access to the same machines.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of file and directory permissions during software installation, which allows lower-privileged users to inherit elevated permissions from higher-privileged components. This misconfiguration enables an authenticated user to potentially exploit the inherited permissions to gain higher privileges on the system. The flaw operates at the operating system level where file system permissions are not properly restricted, allowing for unauthorized access to sensitive components that should only be accessible to administrators or system processes. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which addresses improper file permissions, and represents a classic case of insufficient privilege separation in software installations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to modify critical development tools, access sensitive intellectual property, or potentially compromise the integrity of the entire development environment. In enterprise settings where Intel Quartus software is used for FPGA development and embedded system design, this vulnerability could allow malicious actors to tamper with critical design files, inject malicious code into development processes, or gain access to proprietary designs that are fundamental to product development. The local access requirement means that attackers must first establish a foothold on the target system, but once achieved, the privilege escalation capability can lead to significant compromise of development infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate permission remediation and access control hardening. System administrators should immediately review and correct the inherited permissions on all Intel Quartus installation directories and files, ensuring that proper access controls are enforced through the principle of least privilege. The recommended approach involves implementing strict permission controls where only authorized users or system processes have access to sensitive components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies and regular permission audits to detect and prevent similar issues in other software installations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers the use of elevated privileges for privilege escalation, and highlights the importance of proper software installation security practices to prevent unauthorized access to system resources through inherited permissions.