CVE-2023-32285 in NUC
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2023
Improper access control in some Intel(R) NUC BIOS firmware may allow a privileged user to potentially enable denial of service via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-32285 represents a critical access control flaw within the BIOS firmware of certain Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) devices. This weakness stems from inadequate authorization mechanisms that permit authenticated but unauthorized users to manipulate system resources in ways that could compromise system availability. The issue specifically affects Intel NUC systems where the BIOS firmware fails to properly validate user privileges before granting access to critical system functions, creating a pathway for malicious actors with local access to potentially disrupt normal system operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies within the firmware's privilege escalation controls and access validation routines. When a user attempts to access protected system resources through the BIOS interface, the firmware should verify that the user possesses appropriate authorization levels before granting access. However, in affected systems, this validation process contains a flaw that allows a privileged user to bypass normal access controls and potentially manipulate system components that should remain restricted. This misconfiguration creates a condition where legitimate users with local access can execute operations that should be limited to system administrators or firmware-level processes, fundamentally undermining the security model of the device's firmware environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates potential for denial of service conditions that can significantly disrupt system operations. A malicious user with local access could potentially disable critical system functions, corrupt firmware components, or otherwise interfere with normal system behavior through unauthorized access to BIOS-level controls. This could result in complete system unavailability, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations, and represents a serious concern for enterprise environments where uptime and reliability are critical. The local access requirement means that the vulnerability cannot be exploited remotely, but it does represent a significant risk in environments where physical access to devices is possible.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-32285 should focus on firmware updates provided by Intel to address the specific access control flaw in the BIOS implementation. Organizations should prioritize applying the latest firmware releases that contain patches for this vulnerability, ensuring that all affected Intel NUC systems receive the necessary updates. Additionally, implementing physical security measures to restrict local access to these devices can provide an effective compensating control, as the vulnerability requires local access to exploit. Network segmentation and access control policies should also be reviewed to minimize the potential attack surface, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual BIOS-level activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and could potentially map to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and system compromise through firmware manipulation. Organizations should also consider implementing firmware integrity monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized changes to BIOS components that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.