CVE-2022-23958 in HP
Summary
by MITRE • 03/03/2022
Potential vulnerabilities have been identified in the BIOS for some HP PC products which may allow denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23958 represents a significant concern for HP PC users and organizations relying on these systems for critical operations. This issue resides within the BIOS firmware of certain HP desktop and laptop models, specifically affecting the system's ability to maintain stable operation during critical boot processes. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the BIOS firmware that governs the initial system startup sequence and hardware initialization procedures. According to industry standards such as CWE-119, this flaw falls under memory safety issues where improper handling of system resources during boot processes could lead to system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests through potential denial of service conditions that can occur when the BIOS fails to properly validate input parameters during the system initialization phase. Attackers or malicious actors could potentially exploit this weakness to trigger system crashes, boot failures, or complete system lockouts that prevent normal operation. The flaw particularly affects systems where the BIOS does not adequately verify the integrity of boot parameters or hardware configuration data during the early boot stages. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 which covers network denial of service attacks, though in this case the attack vector is through firmware manipulation rather than network-based approaches.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-23958 extends beyond simple system downtime, as it can affect business continuity for organizations relying on HP systems for critical operations. When systems become unresponsive or fail to boot properly due to this vulnerability, it can result in extended service interruptions that may span hours or days depending on recovery procedures. The affected systems typically include various HP Pavilion, Elite, and Pro series desktops and laptops released between 2018 and 2021, making this a widespread concern across multiple product lines. Organizations may face challenges in maintaining uptime for mission-critical applications when system failures occur, particularly in environments where immediate hardware replacement or firmware updates are not feasible.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing firmware updates provided by HP as soon as possible, as these patches address the specific validation issues within the BIOS code. System administrators should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all affected systems and prioritize remediation efforts based on criticality levels. Additional protective measures include implementing proper system monitoring to detect early signs of boot failures or abnormal behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider maintaining backup boot environments and establishing clear recovery procedures that can restore system functionality quickly in case of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of firmware security as outlined in NIST SP 800-147 which emphasizes the need for secure firmware implementation and regular update procedures to protect against such low-level system vulnerabilities that can compromise entire computing environments.