CVE-2024-10239 in MBD-X12DPG-OA6
Summary
by MITRE • 02/04/2025
A security issue in the firmware image verification implementation at Supermicro MBD-X12DPG-OA6 . An attacker with administrator privileges can upload a specially crafted image, which can cause a stack overflow due to the unchecked fat->fsd.max_fld.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-10239 resides within the firmware image verification mechanism of Supermicro's MBD-X12DPG-OA6 motherboard model, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the system's firmware update process. This issue manifests through an insufficient input validation routine that fails to properly sanitize or limit the size of specific filesystem metadata structures during firmware verification operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from an unchecked field within the FAT filesystem structure, specifically the fat->fsd.max_fld parameter, which controls the maximum number of file entries allowed in the filesystem. When an authenticated administrator uploads a malicious firmware image, the verification routine processes this field without adequate bounds checking, allowing an attacker to craft a payload that deliberately exceeds the expected field size limits. This unchecked parameter leads to a predictable stack buffer overflow condition, where the excessive data overflows into adjacent memory regions, potentially corrupting the program's execution stack.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it provides a potential pathway for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution within the firmware environment. An attacker who has already gained administrative access to the system can exploit this flaw to execute malicious code with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the entire system's integrity. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only administrative credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages existing trusted access to bypass additional security controls.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, Stack-based Buffer Overflow, and represents a classic example of inadequate input validation in firmware security implementations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and potentially T1547.001 for Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, as successful exploitation could enable persistent access through modified firmware components. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices in embedded firmware development, where buffer overflow protections are insufficiently implemented in critical system components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-10239 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Supermicro to address the unchecked field validation issue. Organizations should implement strict access controls and monitor administrative activities for any unauthorized firmware upload attempts. Network segmentation and endpoint detection systems should be configured to alert on unusual firmware modification patterns. Additionally, regular firmware integrity verification checks should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, while security teams should consider disabling unnecessary firmware update capabilities when not actively required for system maintenance operations.