CVE-2022-21203 in Quartus Prime Standard Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2022
Improper permissions in the SafeNet Sentinel driver for Intel(R) Quartus(R) Prime Standard Edition before version 21.1 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2022
The CVE-2022-21203 vulnerability resides within the SafeNet Sentinel driver component of Intel(R) Quartus(R) Prime Standard Edition software, specifically affecting versions prior to 21.1. This flaw represents a critical permission misconfiguration that creates an avenue for privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability manifests in the driver's handling of access controls and file permissions, which are essential for maintaining system security boundaries. When properly configured, these drivers should enforce strict access controls to prevent unauthorized modifications or privilege elevation. However, this specific implementation flaw allows authenticated users to exploit the improper permission settings to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only local access and authentication, making it exploitable in scenarios where an attacker already has user-level access to the system. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege, which is fundamental to secure system design and is referenced in CWE-276, which addresses improper permissions. The SafeNet Sentinel driver serves as a critical component in hardware security and licensing management for Intel's FPGA development tools, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for developers and engineers who rely on these systems for their work.
The technical flaw involves improper permission handling within the SafeNet Sentinel driver that governs access to system resources and sensitive operations. The driver fails to properly validate or enforce access controls when processing requests from authenticated users, allowing privilege escalation through local system access. This misconfiguration enables a user to manipulate the driver's behavior in ways that should be restricted to system administrators or privileged processes only. The vulnerability operates through a combination of insufficient input validation and inadequate permission checking mechanisms. Attackers can potentially leverage this flaw by crafting specific driver interactions or by exploiting the driver's handling of certain system calls that should require elevated privileges. The flaw exists in the driver's kernel-mode code execution path, where improper permission checks allow authenticated users to bypass normal access controls. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper permissions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation. The issue is particularly insidious because it operates at the kernel level, where the attacker's actions can directly influence system security policies and access controls, effectively undermining the operating system's security model.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-21203 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise entire development environments and intellectual property. Organizations using Intel Quartus Prime Standard Edition for FPGA development face significant risks, as this vulnerability could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive design files, development tools, and system resources. The local access requirement means that an attacker with physical or remote access to a development machine could exploit this vulnerability to gain system-level privileges. This capability enables attackers to modify or extract proprietary intellectual property, install malicious software, or disable security controls within the development environment. The vulnerability affects not only individual developers but also enterprise environments where multiple users have access to development systems, creating potential for widespread compromise. Additionally, the impact extends to supply chain security, as compromised development systems could introduce malicious code into hardware designs that are later deployed in critical infrastructure. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used development tool means that numerous organizations across various industries, including defense, aerospace, automotive, and telecommunications, could be at risk. The exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, and potential compromise of critical hardware systems that rely on the security of their development processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-21203 focus on immediate software updates and access control hardening. The primary and most effective remediation is upgrading to Intel Quartus Prime Standard Edition version 21.1 or later, which includes patches addressing the improper permission handling in the SafeNet Sentinel driver. Organizations should prioritize this update across all development systems and ensure proper testing to avoid disrupting development workflows. Additional mitigations include implementing strict access controls on development machines, limiting user accounts to only necessary privileges, and employing network segmentation to reduce the attack surface. System administrators should monitor for suspicious driver activity and implement logging controls to detect potential exploitation attempts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting user access to development tools and system resources, particularly those that interface with hardware security components. Security hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary services, implementing driver signature enforcement, and using application whitelisting can further reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions to monitor for anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar permission-related issues in other system components. The mitigation approach aligns with NIST SP 800-53 security controls and follows the Defense in Depth strategy recommended in various cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also maintain updated incident response procedures specifically addressing privilege escalation vulnerabilities in development environments, as these scenarios can have significant business and security implications.