CVE-2022-31644 in HP
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2023
Potential vulnerabilities have been identified in the system BIOS of certain HP PC products, which might allow arbitrary code execution, escalation of privilege, denial of service, and information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-31644 represents a critical security flaw within the system BIOS of specific HP PC models, fundamentally compromising the foundational security architecture of affected devices. This vulnerability resides in the firmware level, making it particularly dangerous as it operates below the operating system layer where traditional security controls are typically enforced. The issue affects multiple HP consumer and business laptop models, potentially exposing millions of devices to sophisticated attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors with varying levels of technical expertise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the BIOS firmware components that handle system initialization and hardware configuration. Attackers can potentially exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code directly within the BIOS environment, which operates with the highest privilege level and can bypass all operating system security mechanisms. This flaw falls under the CWE-122 category of buffer overflow conditions, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite critical memory regions and manipulate the firmware execution flow. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables privilege escalation from the standard user level to system-level control, effectively granting attackers complete administrative access to the affected systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-31644 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, creating multiple attack surfaces that can be leveraged for comprehensive system compromise. Successful exploitation could result in persistent backdoors that survive system reboots and operating system reinstalls, as the malicious code executes within the firmware layer. The vulnerability also enables denial of service conditions where attackers could render systems unusable by corrupting critical BIOS functions, while simultaneously allowing information disclosure attacks that could extract sensitive data from system memory. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes local privilege escalation, and T1542.003 which covers boot or logon initialization scripts, making it a prime target for advanced persistent threat actors seeking long-term system control.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. HP has released firmware updates that patch the specific BIOS vulnerabilities, requiring users to update their system firmware through official channels to eliminate the security risk. Organizations should implement comprehensive inventory tracking to identify all affected HP devices within their networks and prioritize immediate firmware updates. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing firmware integrity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized modifications to BIOS components, as these attacks often go undetected by traditional endpoint protection systems. The remediation process should also include network segmentation to limit lateral movement capabilities and enhanced monitoring of system boot processes for signs of unauthorized firmware modifications. Organizations may also need to consider hardware-based security features such as Intel TXT or AMD SEV to provide additional layers of protection against firmware-level attacks, though these solutions require careful evaluation of compatibility with existing infrastructure.