CVE-2022-23182 in Data Center Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2022
Improper access control in the Intel(R) Data Center Manager software before version 4.1 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via adjacent access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23182 represents a critical access control flaw within Intel's Data Center Manager software ecosystem. This software serves as a comprehensive management solution for data center environments, providing administrators with tools to monitor and control various hardware components including servers, storage systems, and networking equipment. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 4.1, indicating that Intel recognized the severity of this issue and implemented fixes in their subsequent releases. The flaw manifests as improper access control mechanisms that fail to adequately authenticate or authorize user requests, creating potential entry points for malicious actors who possess adjacent network access to the affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user credentials and permissions within the software's authentication framework. An unauthenticated user who can establish adjacent network access to the Intel Data Center Manager system can potentially exploit this weakness to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized administrative control. This represents a significant security gap because the software typically operates in environments where physical or network proximity is often achievable by malicious actors. The vulnerability's classification as adjacent access means that attackers do not require remote network exposure or complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in data center environments where network segmentation may not be comprehensive.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise data center security infrastructure. The potential for privilege escalation means that an attacker could gain complete control over the managed hardware components, potentially leading to system compromise, data theft, or service disruption. Data center managers rely heavily on the integrity of their management software to maintain security boundaries and prevent unauthorized access to critical infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as the compromised system could serve as a launching point for further attacks within the network, potentially allowing lateral movement and access to other systems that may not be directly affected by this vulnerability. The adjacent access requirement means that physical or local network access is sufficient for exploitation, which is particularly concerning in shared data center environments.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation efforts to address this vulnerability by upgrading to Intel Data Center Manager version 4.1 or later. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive network segmentation to limit adjacent access opportunities, implementation of strict access controls for management interfaces, and enhanced monitoring of administrative activities. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of their data center environments to identify systems running vulnerable versions and implement additional protective measures such as network access controls, firewall rules, and intrusion detection systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system design. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique, specifically leveraging access control weaknesses to elevate user permissions and gain unauthorized administrative capabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based controls to prevent unauthorized adjacent access and establish robust monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts.