CVE-2024-39284 in Advisor software
Summary
by MITRE • 02/13/2025
Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) Advisor software before version 2024.2 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-39284 affects Intel(R) Advisor software versions prior to 2024.2 and represents a critical privilege escalation risk through uncontrolled search path behavior. This flaw enables authenticated users with local access to potentially elevate their privileges on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of search paths during software execution, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate the software's execution environment and gain elevated system privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the software's failure to properly validate or control the search paths used during execution. When Intel Advisor processes certain operations, it may inadvertently search through directories that are not properly secured or validated, allowing an attacker with local access to place malicious binaries or libraries in these paths. This behavior aligns with CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path, which specifically addresses situations where applications search for resources using paths that can be manipulated by attackers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only local authentication, making it accessible to users who already have login credentials on the system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for organizations running affected Intel Advisor versions. The privilege escalation capability means that an attacker who has already gained local access could potentially elevate to administrator or root privileges, thereby gaining complete control over the affected system. This could lead to data exfiltration, system compromise, or use as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects the software's integrity and can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious DLL injection or shared library manipulation, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users may have local access to systems running Intel Advisor.
Organizations should immediately prioritize updating to Intel Advisor version 2024.2 or later to remediate this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing strict access controls and monitoring for suspicious file system activities in directories used by the software. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of systems running affected versions and implement additional controls such as file integrity monitoring and privileged access management solutions. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and following secure coding practices that prevent uncontrolled search path behaviors. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation tactic, making it a critical concern for security operations teams.