CVE-2020-24501 in E810 Ethernet Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 02/17/2021
Buffer overflow in the firmware for Intel(R) E810 Ethernet Controllers before version 1.4.1.13 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via adjacent access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24501 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the firmware of Intel E810 Ethernet Controllers. This issue affects devices running firmware versions prior to 1.4.1.13 and creates a significant security risk that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers who have adjacent network access to the affected hardware. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the firmware implementation, specifically in how the controller processes incoming network packets or configuration data. The buffer overflow condition occurs when the firmware fails to properly bounds-check data received from network interfaces or management channels, allowing malicious input to overwrite adjacent memory regions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates at the firmware level of the network controller, which means it exists below the operating system layer where traditional security controls may not be effective. The flaw manifests when the controller's firmware receives data that exceeds the allocated buffer space, leading to memory corruption that can result in unpredictable behavior including system crashes, restarts, or complete service denial. The adjacent access requirement indicates that exploitation necessitates physical or local network proximity to the device, though this limitation does not mitigate the severity of the impact. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory regions.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-24501 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios as it can potentially enable more sophisticated attacks depending on the specific memory corruption patterns. Network administrators face significant challenges in detecting exploitation attempts since the vulnerability operates at a low level within the hardware firmware, making traditional network monitoring tools less effective. The affected Intel E810 controllers are commonly deployed in high-performance networking environments including data centers, enterprise networks, and industrial control systems where maintaining continuous network availability is critical. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to disrupt network services, potentially causing cascading failures in systems that depend on uninterrupted network connectivity. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1072, which involves software deployment via local network access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-24501 primarily focus on firmware updates from Intel, which should be implemented immediately upon availability. Organizations must conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all affected E810 controllers within their network infrastructure and prioritize patching efforts based on risk assessment. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit adjacent access points to these devices, though this represents a partial mitigation since the vulnerability requires local network proximity. Monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect unusual network behavior or service disruptions that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should implement network access control lists and firewall rules to restrict communication with affected devices to only authorized network segments. The vulnerability highlights the importance of firmware security management and regular security assessments of embedded systems, as firmware-level vulnerabilities can persist even when operating system patches are applied. Organizations should also consider implementing hardware security modules or trusted platform modules to provide additional protection against firmware-level attacks.