CVE-2022-31645 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-2022-31645 represents a critical security flaw within the system BIOS of specific HP PC models, fundamentally compromising the foundational security architecture of affected devices. This issue resides at the firmware level, where the BIOS serves as the initial interface between hardware and operating systems, making it a prime target for sophisticated attack vectors. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient access controls within the BIOS implementation, creating multiple attack surfaces that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized system control. The affected HP products span various consumer and enterprise lines, indicating a widespread impact across different device categories and deployment environments.
The technical flaw manifests through improper handling of system calls and memory management within the BIOS firmware, allowing malicious actors to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges that bypass standard operating system security mechanisms. This weakness enables attackers to escalate their privileges beyond normal system limitations, potentially gaining root access to the underlying hardware infrastructure. The vulnerability's design aligns with CWE-119, which addresses improper access to memory locations, and CWE-284, which covers inadequate access control mechanisms. Additionally, the flaw can be leveraged to perform denial of service attacks by corrupting critical BIOS components, rendering systems inoperable until manual intervention or firmware reinstallation occurs. Information disclosure vulnerabilities within the BIOS layer can expose sensitive system parameters, hardware configurations, and potentially cryptographic keys stored in firmware memory.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-31645 extends beyond individual device compromise to potentially affect entire enterprise networks where affected HP systems are deployed. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can establish persistent backdoors within the firmware layer, making detection extremely challenging as traditional endpoint security solutions cannot scan or monitor BIOS components. The attack surface includes potential exploitation through malicious USB devices, network-based attacks, or physical access scenarios where attackers can manipulate firmware update processes. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1068 for local privilege escalation, T1542 for hijacking system processes, and T1566 for initial access through malicious USB devices. Organizations deploying affected HP systems face significant risks including data breaches, system downtime, and potential compromise of sensitive corporate infrastructure, particularly in environments where physical security controls may be inadequate.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-31645 require immediate action from system administrators to apply official firmware updates provided by HP, which address the underlying BIOS vulnerabilities through code modifications and enhanced access controls. Organizations should implement comprehensive firmware integrity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized BIOS modifications and maintain detailed inventory records of all affected systems. Security teams must establish robust network segmentation policies to limit potential attack vectors and implement strict physical security measures to prevent unauthorized access to affected devices. Regular vulnerability assessments should include firmware scanning capabilities to identify unpatched systems and ensure proper update deployment across all affected HP products. The implementation of hardware-based security features such as Trusted Platform Modules and firmware lockdown mechanisms can provide additional protection layers against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also develop incident response procedures specifically tailored to firmware-level compromises, as these attacks require specialized forensic analysis and recovery techniques beyond standard cybersecurity protocols.