CVE-2021-0005 in Ethernet Adapter 800 Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2021
Uncaught exception in firmware for Intel(R) Ethernet Adapters 800 Series Controllers and associated adapters before version 1.5.3.0 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable denial of service via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-0005 affects Intel(R) Ethernet Adapters 800 Series Controllers and their associated network adapters. This issue stems from an uncaught exception within the firmware implementation that occurs during specific operational conditions. The flaw represents a critical security weakness that could be exploited by malicious actors with local access privileges to disrupt network connectivity and system availability. The vulnerability impacts devices running firmware versions prior to 1.5.3.0, making it particularly concerning for organizations that have not yet updated their network infrastructure components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves a programming error within the firmware code where certain error conditions are not properly handled or caught during execution. When specific network operations or system interactions occur, the firmware fails to gracefully manage the exceptional circumstances, leading to a complete system crash or service disruption. This unhandled exception behavior creates a pathway for denial of service attacks that can be executed by users with local administrative privileges. The flaw operates at the firmware level rather than at the application or operating system layer, making it particularly challenging to detect and remediate through conventional software updates.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to network infrastructure stability and availability. A privileged local user could exploit this weakness to deliberately crash network adapter functionality, potentially causing network outages that affect multiple users or systems. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as network connectivity loss can cascade into broader system failures, particularly in environments where network adapters serve critical functions for data transmission and communication. Organizations with multiple Intel 800 Series controllers deployed across their infrastructure face heightened risk, as a single compromised device could potentially serve as a foothold for further network infiltration or disruption.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-459, which addresses incomplete cleanup of resources, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-704, indicating improper handling of exceptional conditions. From an attack framework perspective, this weakness maps to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network disruption attacks. The local privilege requirement reduces the attack surface compared to remote exploits, but the potential for cascading failures makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments. Organizations should prioritize immediate firmware updates to version 1.5.3.0 or later to address this vulnerability, as the remediation process involves updating the firmware components that control the network adapter functionality rather than applying software patches to operating systems or applications.
Mitigation strategies should include comprehensive inventory assessment to identify all affected devices, implementation of network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, and establishment of secure firmware update procedures. System administrators should consider implementing additional access controls and privilege management policies to limit local administrative access to network infrastructure components. Regular firmware update schedules and vulnerability management processes should be established to ensure timely remediation of similar issues. The vulnerability underscores the importance of firmware security and the need for robust error handling mechanisms in embedded systems, particularly those controlling critical network infrastructure components. Organizations should also consider conducting security assessments to evaluate the overall resilience of their network adapter configurations and implement layered defense strategies to minimize the impact of potential exploitation attempts.