CVE-2021-26257 in Wireless Bluetooth
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2022
Improper buffer restrictions in firmware for some Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R) and Killer(TM) Bluetooth(R) products before version 22.120 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2022
This vulnerability affects Intel Wireless Bluetooth and Killer Bluetooth products with firmware versions prior to 22.120, representing a critical buffer management flaw that could be exploited by authenticated local users. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and buffer size restrictions within the firmware implementation, creating potential pathways for malicious code execution or system instability. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation as defined by CWE-129, where insufficient bounds checking allows for buffer overflow conditions that can be leveraged for denial of service attacks. From an operational perspective, this flaw requires local authentication to exploit, meaning an attacker must already have access to the system with valid credentials, but the impact can be severe as it undermines the fundamental stability of the wireless communication stack. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Bluetooth services are often running with elevated privileges and may be accessible to users with standard login credentials, making this a potential vector for persistent system disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow scenario where firmware components fail to properly validate the size of incoming data packets or configuration parameters. When legitimate users provide malformed input through Bluetooth communication channels, the system may attempt to copy data into fixed-size buffers without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can result in system crashes or complete service unavailability. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1489 which involves creating or manipulating system resources to deny service to legitimate users, and represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where wireless infrastructure is critical for device connectivity and communication. The flaw particularly impacts systems where Bluetooth services are enabled and running with sufficient privileges to affect system stability, creating a potential denial of service condition that could disrupt critical wireless operations.
Organizations should prioritize immediate firmware updates to version 22.120 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as the attack requires only local authentication making it accessible to users with legitimate system access. Network administrators should implement monitoring for unusual Bluetooth service behavior and ensure that only authorized users have local access to affected systems. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it could potentially be chained with other local privilege escalation techniques, though the primary concern remains denial of service through system instability. Security teams should also consider implementing additional controls such as restricting Bluetooth service access through group policies and ensuring that wireless services are properly configured with minimal required privileges. Regular firmware update policies and vulnerability scanning should include verification of Bluetooth firmware versions to prevent exploitation of this and similar buffer-related vulnerabilities that could compromise wireless infrastructure reliability and availability.