CVE-2024-36262 in System Security Report and System Resources Defense
Summary
by MITRE • 02/13/2025
Race condition in some Intel(R) System Security Report and System Resources Defense firmware may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-36262 represents a critical race condition flaw within Intel's System Security Report and System Resources Defense firmware components. This race condition manifests in the timing-dependent execution of security-critical operations that govern privilege escalation mechanisms within the firmware layer. The flaw specifically affects systems utilizing Intel's security firmware implementations where multiple threads or processes may simultaneously access shared resources without proper synchronization controls. The vulnerability arises from inadequate mutex or semaphore implementation during critical firmware operations that manage system security states and privilege levels.
The technical exploitation of this race condition occurs when a privileged user with local access attempts to manipulate concurrent firmware operations that should be mutually exclusive. During the window between resource acquisition and release, an attacker can potentially interfere with the normal execution flow to gain elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-362 which specifically addresses Race Conditions in software security implementations. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the firmware's concurrency control mechanisms, where the expected atomicity of security-critical operations is compromised due to improper synchronization primitives.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-36262 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise the entire system security posture. Since this vulnerability operates at the firmware level, successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass hardware-based security controls, modify system integrity measurements, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The local access requirement means that attackers must already have some level of system presence, but the privilege escalation capability could enable them to gain administrative control over the affected system. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers 'Local Privilege Escalation' and potentially T1543 which addresses 'Create or Modify System Process' through firmware manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from Intel to address the race condition implementation flaws. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the latest firmware releases that contain proper synchronization mechanisms and mutex controls for security-critical operations. Additionally, implementing runtime monitoring for unusual privilege escalation patterns and conducting regular security audits of firmware components can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider isolating systems with vulnerable firmware and implementing strict access controls to limit local user privileges. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing of firmware updates to ensure compatibility and prevent service disruption while addressing the underlying concurrency issues that enabled the race condition to exist in the first place.