CVE-2023-34349 in NUC
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2023
Race condition in some Intel(R) NUC BIOS firmware may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-34349 represents a critical race condition flaw within the BIOS firmware of certain Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) systems. This issue stems from improper synchronization mechanisms during firmware operations, creating a window where malicious code could exploit temporal inconsistencies in the system's boot process. The race condition manifests when multiple threads or processes attempt to access or modify firmware components simultaneously, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior and security implications.
The technical flaw resides in the firmware's handling of privileged operations during system initialization, where concurrent access to critical firmware resources is not adequately protected. This vulnerability specifically affects Intel NUC devices running affected BIOS versions, with the race condition occurring during the firmware update or initialization sequences. The flaw allows a locally authenticated user with administrative privileges to manipulate the timing of firmware operations, potentially enabling unauthorized privilege escalation. This represents a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the fundamental nature of concurrent system operations within the firmware environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the integrity of the system's boot process and firmware security controls. An attacker with local access could potentially exploit this race condition to modify firmware components, install malicious code, or elevate their privileges beyond normal system limitations. The attack requires local access and administrative privileges, but the implications are severe as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the firmware layer. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where NUC devices are deployed as edge computing nodes, potentially providing attackers with persistent access to critical infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-34349 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Intel, which address the race condition through proper synchronization mechanisms and improved thread management. Organizations should implement robust access controls to limit local administrative privileges and monitor for unauthorized firmware modifications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which describes race conditions in concurrent programming, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation. System administrators should also consider implementing firmware integrity monitoring solutions and establishing strict change management procedures for BIOS updates to prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of firmware components and continuous monitoring for suspicious activity are essential defensive measures.