CVE-2023-49614 in FPGA Products
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2024
Out of bounds write in firmware for some Intel(R) FPGA products before version 2.9.0 may allow escalation of privilege and information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds write condition affecting Intel FPGA firmware implementations prior to version 2.9.0. The flaw exists within the firmware processing logic where insufficient input validation and boundary checking permits malicious data to be written beyond the allocated memory buffers. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-787, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds writes that can lead to arbitrary code execution and system compromise. The vulnerability affects Intel FPGA products including various Arria, Stratix, and Cyclone series devices that implement the affected firmware components.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the firmware processes untrusted input data through insufficient validation mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious firmware update packages or manipulate device configuration parameters to trigger the out-of-bounds write condition. This flaw enables privilege escalation because the firmware operates at a privileged execution level, allowing attackers to gain elevated system privileges and potentially execute arbitrary code with root-level access. The information disclosure aspect arises from the ability to read adjacent memory locations, potentially exposing sensitive data such as cryptographic keys, configuration parameters, or other confidential information stored in memory.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to embedded systems and infrastructure relying on Intel FPGA devices for critical operations. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include complete system compromise and potential denial of service conditions. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to maintain persistent access to affected systems, manipulate device behavior, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The vulnerability's presence in firmware components means that traditional software-based security measures may be insufficient for protection, requiring hardware-level mitigations and firmware updates.
The mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of firmware updates to version 2.9.0 or later, which contain proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected Intel FPGA devices within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure. Security teams should implement monitoring for suspicious firmware update activities and network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure firmware development practices and adherence to security standards such as those outlined in the NIST Firmware Security Framework and ISO/IEC 27031 for network security. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter and T1547.001 for registry run keys for persistence, as attackers could establish long-term access through privilege escalation. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1003.002 for credential dumping, as information disclosure capabilities could expose sensitive authentication data. Organizations must implement robust firmware integrity verification mechanisms and maintain secure update channels to prevent exploitation attempts.