CVE-2023-25545 in Server Board BMC
Summary
by MITRE • 05/10/2023
Improper buffer restrictions in some Intel(R) Server Board BMC firmware before version 2.90 may allow a privileged user to enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-25545 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Intel server board baseboard management controller firmware. This issue affects BMC firmware versions prior to 2.90 and stems from inadequate buffer restriction implementations that create opportunities for malicious actors with local access to elevate their privileges. The baseboard management controller serves as a critical component for out-of-band system management, providing remote access capabilities for system monitoring, configuration, and maintenance operations. When buffer restrictions are improperly enforced, the firmware fails to adequately validate input lengths or memory boundaries, creating potential pathways for attackers to manipulate system behavior through carefully crafted inputs.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves buffer overflow conditions or similar memory management flaws that occur during firmware processing of local commands or data inputs. Attackers with local access can exploit these improper buffer restrictions to overwrite memory locations or manipulate execution flow within the BMC environment. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 buffer overflow category, specifically related to stack-based buffer overflows or heap-based memory corruption that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The flaw enables a privileged user to leverage their existing local access rights to gain elevated privileges, potentially moving from standard user level access to administrative control over the BMC system.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it affects the fundamental security posture of server infrastructure. The BMC serves as a critical management interface that often operates with elevated privileges and maintains access to system hardware components, firmware updates, and configuration settings. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information, modify firmware configurations, disable security features, or establish persistent access points within the server environment. This vulnerability particularly impacts data center and enterprise environments where server management systems are frequently targeted by sophisticated attackers seeking long-term access to critical infrastructure components.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2023-25545 requires immediate firmware updates to version 2.90 or later, which contain the necessary patches addressing the buffer restriction issues. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected server boards and BMC firmware versions within their infrastructure. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls around BMC management interfaces can help limit potential exploitation vectors. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual BMC access patterns or unauthorized configuration changes. The vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of local system access to gain elevated privileges. Regular firmware update processes and vulnerability management procedures should be strengthened to prevent similar issues in future deployments, as this represents a fundamental security weakness that could be exploited to compromise entire server management ecosystems.