CVE-2022-43475 in DCM Software
Summary
by MITRE • 05/10/2023
Insecure storage of sensitive information in the Intel(R) DCM software before version 5.1 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-43475 represents a critical security flaw within Intel Data Center Manager software versions prior to 5.1, where sensitive information is stored insecurely on the local system. This issue affects the data center management platform that Intel provides for enterprise environments, creating potential attack vectors for authenticated users who possess local system access. The insecure storage mechanism allows for the persistence of sensitive data in an unencrypted or poorly protected format, which can be exploited to gain elevated privileges within the system. The vulnerability specifically impacts the software's handling of authentication credentials, session tokens, or other privileged information that should remain protected from unauthorized access. This flaw demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the software's security architecture, particularly in how it manages the lifecycle of sensitive data from creation through storage and eventual disposal.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate cryptographic protection mechanisms within the Intel DCM software's data storage components. When authenticated users interact with the system, sensitive information such as administrative credentials, API keys, or session identifiers may be written to local storage without proper encryption or access controls. This insecure storage approach violates established security principles and creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks. Attackers with local access can potentially extract this sensitive data from the storage locations and leverage it to assume higher privileges within the system. The vulnerability essentially creates a persistent backdoor that remains active even after initial authentication, allowing for continued unauthorized access and escalation. This flaw aligns with CWE-312 (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-259 (CWE-259: Use of Hard-coded Password) categories, as it involves both cleartext storage of sensitive data and potential hard-coded credential exposure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with a pathway to escalate privileges within the managed data center environment. An authenticated user who gains local access to a system running vulnerable Intel DCM software can potentially exploit this weakness to elevate their privileges from standard user to administrative level. This escalation capability compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the entire data center management infrastructure, as it allows attackers to modify system configurations, access restricted resources, and potentially compromise other systems within the managed environment. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise data center environments where multiple administrators may use the same software platform, creating a scenario where a single compromised account could lead to widespread privilege escalation. The attack surface is further expanded due to the software's typical deployment in production environments where local system access is often granted to multiple users for operational purposes.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Intel DCM version 5.1 or later, which addresses the insecure storage vulnerability through improved cryptographic protection mechanisms and enhanced access controls. System administrators should conduct comprehensive security audits to identify and remove any existing sensitive data that may have been stored insecurely within affected systems. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls for local system access, monitoring for unauthorized local activity, and establishing robust logging mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's exploitation requires local system access, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1548.001 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanisms), as it leverages legitimate user accounts to escalate privileges through insecure local storage. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit local access privileges and deploy endpoint protection solutions that can detect and prevent unauthorized data extraction attempts from local storage locations. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that all components of the data center management infrastructure remain protected against similar insecure storage vulnerabilities.