CVE-2024-27353 in InsydeH2O
Summary
by MITRE • 05/15/2024
A memory corruption vulnerability in SdHost and SdMmcDevice in Insyde InsydeH2O kernel 5.2 before 05.29.09, kernel 5.3 before 05.38.09, kernel 5.4 before 05.46.09, kernel 5.5 before 05.54.09, and kernel 5.6 before 05.61.09 could lead to escalating privileges in SMM.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-27353 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting the SdHost and SdMmcDevice components within Insyde InsydeH2O kernel versions across multiple release branches. This issue resides in the System Management Mode (SMM) environment where privilege escalation opportunities exist due to improper memory handling mechanisms. The vulnerability affects kernel versions 5.2 through 5.6 with specific patch thresholds of 05.29.09, 05.38.09, 05.46.09, 05.54.09, and 05.61.09 respectively, indicating a widespread impact across multiple firmware generations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the SdHost and SdMmcDevice drivers that operate in SMM context. When processing storage device commands or data transfers, these components fail to properly validate buffer boundaries and memory allocation parameters, leading to potential memory corruption conditions. This memory corruption can be exploited to overwrite critical SMM structures or execute arbitrary code with the highest privilege levels available within the system firmware environment. The flaw manifests as a classic buffer overflow or use-after-free condition that can be triggered through malicious storage device interactions or crafted input sequences.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical software security concerns as it affects the fundamental security architecture of the system firmware. Privilege escalation in SMM context provides attackers with complete control over system hardware operations, including the ability to modify firmware images, bypass security features, and maintain persistent access even after operating system reboots. This represents a severe threat vector since SMM operates with the highest privilege level and is typically isolated from normal operating system security mechanisms, making detection and mitigation particularly challenging. The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with physical access to the device or through sophisticated supply chain attacks targeting firmware updates.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate firmware updates to patched versions meeting or exceeding the specified thresholds for each kernel branch. Organizations must prioritize firmware patching across all affected systems while implementing hardware-based security measures such as Platform Trust Technology and firmware integrity monitoring. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to stack and heap-based buffer overflows, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1542.001 for privilege escalation through boot or logon initialization scripts. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual SMM activity and establish robust firmware integrity verification processes to detect potential exploitation attempts.