CVE-2022-35729 in Intel
Summary
by MITRE • 02/16/2023
Out of bounds read in firmware for OpenBMC in some Intel(R) platforms before version 0.72 may allow unauthenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via network access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-35729 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the firmware implementation of OpenBMC, a widely deployed open-source base management controller firmware used in enterprise and data center environments. This issue specifically affects certain Intel platforms where the firmware fails to properly validate input data during network protocol processing, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's memory handling mechanisms. The flaw exists in firmware versions prior to 0.72, indicating that organizations running older iterations of this management controller software remain at significant risk of exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the firmware's network processing routines, which allows an attacker to craft specially malformed network packets that trigger memory access violations. When the firmware receives such packets, it attempts to read data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, potentially causing system instability or complete system crashes. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 category of "Improper Validation of Array Index" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for network denial of service attacks. The out-of-bounds read condition can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause system reboot cycles, effectively rendering the affected platform unavailable to legitimate users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it provides attackers with a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks. An unauthenticated attacker with network access to the affected system can trigger the denial of service condition without requiring any credentials or prior access to the management interface. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where BMC interfaces are exposed to untrusted networks or where default configurations leave management ports accessible from external networks. The vulnerability can be exploited to create persistent availability issues, potentially affecting critical infrastructure monitoring and management capabilities. Organizations relying on OpenBMC for remote system management and monitoring may experience complete loss of management functionality during exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-35729 should prioritize immediate firmware updates to version 0.72 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the bounds checking deficiencies. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of BMC interfaces to trusted networks only, while disabling unnecessary services and ports that may provide additional attack vectors. Regular security assessments and network monitoring should be conducted to detect potential exploitation attempts, with intrusion detection systems configured to identify malformed network traffic patterns associated with this specific vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should implement robust patch management processes to ensure all firmware components remain current with security updates, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of timely firmware maintenance in preventing exploitation of memory safety issues within embedded systems.