CVE-2022-37409 in IPP Cryptography
Summary
by MITRE • 05/10/2023
Insufficient control flow management for the Intel(R) IPP Cryptography software before version 2021.6 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-37409 represents a critical flaw in Intel's IPP Cryptography software ecosystem, specifically targeting the control flow management mechanisms within the cryptographic library. This issue affects versions prior to 2021.6 and creates a pathway for authenticated users to potentially exploit local access conditions for information disclosure purposes. The vulnerability resides in the fundamental architecture of how the software manages execution paths and control flow during cryptographic operations, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise sensitive data.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate control flow management within the Intel IPP Cryptography library implementation. Control flow management failures typically occur when software does not properly validate or restrict execution paths, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information through predictable or manipulable program execution sequences. In this case, the flaw manifests as insufficient validation of control flow integrity during cryptographic operations, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate execution paths and extract confidential information. This weakness aligns with CWE-248, which specifically addresses "Uncaught Exception" conditions that can lead to unexpected program behavior and information disclosure.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-37409 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a persistent security risk for systems utilizing vulnerable Intel IPP Cryptography components. Attackers with local authenticated access can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized insights into cryptographic operations, potentially exposing encryption keys, plaintext data, or other sensitive information processed through the affected library. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to T1552.001 - "Unsecured Credentials" and T1005 - "Data from Local System" as attackers could exploit the control flow weakness to extract sensitive data from the local system. Systems running vulnerable versions may experience cascading security impacts where the information disclosure could lead to further exploitation opportunities.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patching to version 2021.6 or later of the Intel IPP Cryptography software, as this represents the most effective mitigation strategy for addressing the control flow management deficiencies. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unauthorized local access attempts and anomalous cryptographic operation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date cryptographic libraries and demonstrates how control flow management flaws in security-critical software can create persistent attack surfaces. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems utilizing vulnerable Intel IPP Cryptography components and establish proper access controls to minimize the potential impact of local authenticated access to systems running affected software versions.