CVE-2024-24980 in Xeon
Summary
by MITRE • 08/14/2024
Protection mechanism failure in some 3rd, 4th, and 5th Generation Intel(R) Xeon(R) Processors may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical protection mechanism failure affecting third, fourth, and fifth generation Intel Xeon processors, specifically targeting the processor's privilege escalation capabilities. The flaw resides in the fundamental security architecture of these processors, where the protection mechanisms designed to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation have been compromised. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it requires only local access from a privileged user account, making it exploitable within existing system boundaries without requiring external network access or additional authentication vectors.
The technical root cause of CVE-2024-24980 stems from weaknesses in the processor's memory management and privilege level enforcement mechanisms. When a privileged user executes specific sequences of operations, the processor's security controls fail to properly enforce the separation between user and kernel mode execution contexts. This failure creates a pathway where malicious code or processes running with elevated privileges can manipulate the processor's internal state to gain additional privileges beyond their original authorization levels. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper privilege management, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local system exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to bypass critical security controls that protect system integrity and confidentiality. Once exploited, a privileged user could potentially gain root access to the operating system, allowing for complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability affects a wide range of enterprise servers and workstations that utilize affected Intel Xeon processors, creating widespread exposure across corporate environments where these processors are commonly deployed. The local access requirement means that the attack vector is particularly dangerous in environments where insider threats exist or where account compromise occurs through other means.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-24980 should include immediate firmware updates from Intel, which address the underlying processor-level protection mechanism failures. System administrators must also implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual privilege escalation activities and ensure that all users maintain least privilege access. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected processor generations and prioritize patching efforts based on risk exposure. The remediation process requires careful planning due to the processor-level nature of the vulnerability, potentially necessitating system downtime for firmware updates and careful validation of patched systems to ensure proper functionality. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as runtime application protection and enhanced logging to detect potential exploitation attempts.