CVE-2024-28876 in MPI Library Software
Summary
by MITRE • 08/14/2024
Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) MPI Library software before version 2021.12 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-28876 resides within Intel(R) MPI Library software versions prior to 2021.12 and represents a significant security weakness that could be exploited by authenticated local users to achieve privilege escalation. This issue stems from improper handling of search paths during software execution, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate the library's behavior and gain elevated system privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects systems where Intel MPI Library components are installed and executed with elevated permissions, making it particularly concerning for high-security environments and compute clusters where multiple users may have local access to shared resources.
The technical flaw manifests through uncontrolled search path behavior that allows an attacker with local access to manipulate the library's dynamic linking process. When the Intel MPI Library loads required components, it follows a predetermined search order that may include directories where untrusted code could be placed. This vulnerability enables attackers to place malicious libraries in these search paths, causing the system to load and execute unauthorized code with the privileges of the running process. The flaw operates at the system level where library loading mechanisms are not properly sanitizing or validating the paths from which shared objects are loaded, creating a classic path traversal and library injection vulnerability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risk to organizations utilizing Intel MPI Library in high-performance computing environments, scientific computing clusters, and enterprise applications that require distributed computing capabilities. The requirement for local authentication means that attackers must first obtain legitimate user credentials or gain physical access to the system, but once achieved, they can leverage this weakness to escalate their privileges and potentially gain full system control. This is particularly dangerous in shared computing environments where multiple users may have legitimate access but could be compromised through social engineering or credential theft. The vulnerability affects systems where the library is executed with elevated privileges, which is common in cluster computing scenarios where MPI processes often run with root or administrative permissions to manage network resources and system access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates to version 2021.12 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper path validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including privilege separation where possible, ensuring that MPI processes run with minimal required privileges rather than elevated permissions. System hardening measures such as implementing secure library loading practices, using restricted search paths, and employing file integrity monitoring solutions can provide additional defense-in-depth. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path and CWE-276 Incorrect Permission Assignment, and maps to ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through dynamic link library injection and execution through legitimate system processes. Regular security assessments and monitoring for unauthorized library modifications should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls can limit the attack surface by restricting local access to systems running affected Intel MPI Library versions.