CVE-2020-8690 in Ethernet 700 Series Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 11/12/2020
Protection mechanism failure in Intel(R) Ethernet 700 Series Controllers before version 7.3 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege and/or denial of service via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-8690 represents a critical protection mechanism failure within Intel(R) Ethernet 700 Series Controllers, specifically affecting firmware versions prior to 7.3. This flaw resides in the network controller's security architecture and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in how privilege levels are managed within the device's operational environment. The vulnerability manifests as a failure in the controller's inherent protection mechanisms that are designed to prevent unauthorized access and privilege escalation. The affected hardware operates at a low level within the system architecture, directly interfacing with network protocols and hardware resources, making it a prime target for exploitation by malicious actors with local access privileges. The flaw essentially creates a pathway through which a privileged user could potentially bypass established security controls and elevate their privileges beyond what should be permitted.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and enforcement of access controls within the controller's firmware. When a user with local access attempts to interact with the network controller's management interfaces, the protection mechanisms fail to properly authenticate or authorize the request, allowing for unauthorized privilege escalation. This occurs because the controller's access control lists or privilege validation routines contain logical flaws that permit operations typically restricted to higher privilege levels to be executed by users with lower privileges. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable denial of service conditions, as malicious users could exploit the flaw to disrupt network operations or render the controller inoperable through carefully crafted requests that exploit the broken protection mechanisms.
From an operational standpoint, the implications of CVE-2020-8690 are significant for organizations relying on Intel Ethernet 700 Series Controllers in their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's local access requirement means that attackers must already have some level of system access, typically through legitimate administrative accounts or compromised user credentials, before they can exploit the flaw. However, once exploited, the vulnerability can provide attackers with elevated privileges that could enable them to access sensitive network configurations, modify controller settings, or potentially gain access to other systems connected to the same network segment. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is shared or where privilege escalation can lead to broader network compromise.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and represents a classic example of insufficient privilege checking within network hardware components. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and potentially to denial of service operations within the network infrastructure. Organizations should prioritize updating their Intel Ethernet 700 Series Controllers to firmware version 7.3 or later, as this release includes the necessary patches to address the protection mechanism failures. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit local access to these controllers can help reduce the attack surface. Regular firmware updates and security assessments of network infrastructure components are essential practices to maintain system integrity and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware for network hardware components and the potential consequences of failing to address protection mechanism failures in embedded systems.