CVE-2020-8752 in AMT
Summary
by MITRE • 11/12/2020
Out-of-bounds write in IPv6 subsystem for Intel(R) AMT, Intel(R) ISM versions before 11.8.80, 11.12.80, 11.22.80, 12.0.70, 14.0.45 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privileges via network access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-8752 represents a critical out-of-bounds write flaw within the IPv6 subsystem of Intel Active Management Technology and Intel Standard Manageability components. This issue affects multiple versions of Intel AMT and ISM software, specifically those prior to 11.8.80, 11.12.80, 11.22.80, 12.0.70, and 14.0.45, creating a significant security risk for enterprise environments that rely on these remote management capabilities. The flaw resides in the handling of IPv6 network packets within the management subsystem, where improper input validation allows malicious actors to manipulate memory structures through crafted network traffic.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking in the IPv6 processing code of Intel's remote management firmware. When the system receives specially crafted IPv6 packets, the code fails to properly validate the size or structure of incoming data before writing to memory locations. This allows an attacker to write data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially overwriting adjacent memory regions that contain critical system information or executable code. The out-of-bounds write condition creates opportunities for arbitrary code execution and privilege escalation, as the attacker can manipulate memory to redirect program execution flow or corrupt system state. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-787, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds write conditions in software implementations.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-8752 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it represents a serious threat to enterprise network security infrastructure. Since Intel AMT and ISM are designed to provide out-of-band management capabilities, the vulnerability can be exploited without requiring legitimate user credentials or network access to the target system. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where these management interfaces are exposed to untrusted networks or where default configurations leave management ports accessible from external networks. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that an attacker can potentially gain administrative control over systems with minimal prerequisites, enabling them to access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and control communications and T1068 for privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from system administrators and security teams to upgrade affected Intel AMT and ISM versions to the patched releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from untrusted networks and disable unused management features where possible. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual IPv6 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments of remote management interfaces should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The patching process should be carefully planned and tested to ensure compatibility with existing management infrastructure, as these components often form critical parts of enterprise IT operations. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as network access control lists, firewall rules, and intrusion detection systems to provide defense-in-depth against potential exploitation attempts.