CVE-2022-23924 in HP
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2022
Potential vulnerabilities have been identified in the system BIOS of certain HP PC products which may allow Escalation of Privilege, Arbitrary Code Execution, Unauthorized Code Execution, Denial of Service, and Information Disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23924 affects the system BIOS of specific HP PC products and represents a critical security weakness that spans multiple attack vectors and privilege levels. This flaw exists within the firmware layer of affected systems, creating a foundational security risk that can be exploited by attackers to gain elevated system privileges and execute malicious code. The vulnerability impacts the core firmware infrastructure that controls system boot processes and hardware initialization, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at a level below traditional operating system security controls. The affected HP products include various laptop and desktop models that utilize specific BIOS implementations, though the exact model ranges require detailed verification through HP security advisories and firmware release notes.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the BIOS firmware components that handle system initialization and hardware configuration. Attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate the boot process and potentially inject malicious code that executes with the highest system privileges available. The vulnerability enables what security researchers classify as privilege escalation from user-level to system-level execution, allowing unauthorized code execution that bypasses standard operating system security measures. This weakness also provides opportunities for denial of service attacks by corrupting critical firmware components or information disclosure through improper error handling that reveals sensitive system information. The root cause aligns with CWE-20: Improper Input Validation and CWE-284: Improper Access Control, both of which are fundamental software security weaknesses that directly impact firmware security.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-23924 extends far beyond simple system compromise, as it affects the fundamental integrity of device security and can enable persistent threats that survive traditional system recovery methods. Once exploited, attackers can establish persistent backdoors within the firmware that remain active even after operating system reinstallation or complete system resets. This vulnerability can facilitate advanced persistent threats that leverage the BIOS-level access to maintain long-term system control and can be used to circumvent endpoint protection solutions that operate at the operating system level. The attack surface includes potential exploitation through malicious firmware updates, physical access attacks, or network-based attacks that target the BIOS update mechanisms. The impact on enterprise environments is particularly severe as compromised BIOS components can affect multiple systems simultaneously and can be used to establish lateral movement within network infrastructures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-23924 require immediate attention through firmware updates from HP, as the vulnerability cannot be effectively addressed through traditional software patches alone. Organizations should implement firmware integrity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized changes to BIOS components and establish secure boot policies that prevent execution of unsigned code. The remediation process involves applying official HP firmware updates that address the specific privilege escalation and access control weaknesses, though these updates must be carefully tested to avoid system instability. Security teams should also implement network segmentation and access controls that limit physical access to affected systems, as the vulnerability can be exploited through direct hardware manipulation. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing BIOS lock mechanisms and secure boot configurations that prevent unauthorized firmware modifications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1014: Rootkit and T1542.001: Pre-OS Boot to address potential exploitation vectors that target the system boot process and firmware integrity.