CVE-2024-39833 in QAT Software
Summary
by MITRE • 05/14/2025
Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) QAT software before version 2.3.0 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-39833 affects Intel Quick Assist Technology QAT software versions prior to 2.3.0, representing a critical security flaw that could enable privilege escalation through uncontrolled search path manipulation. This vulnerability specifically impacts systems where the QAT software is installed and configured, creating potential attack vectors for authenticated users with local access to exploit the flaw. The issue stems from improper handling of library search paths during software execution, which can lead to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insecure handling of dynamic library loading within the QAT software components. When the software attempts to load required libraries, it does not properly validate or sanitize the search paths, allowing an attacker to manipulate the library resolution process. This behavior creates a classic path traversal or library injection scenario where malicious libraries can be loaded instead of legitimate ones. The flaw aligns with CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path and CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in OS Commands, as the software fails to properly control the execution environment and library loading mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to systems running affected QAT software versions, particularly in enterprise environments where hardware acceleration is utilized for cryptographic operations, data compression, or network processing. An authenticated local user with access to the system can exploit this flaw to gain elevated privileges, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code with system-level permissions. The impact is amplified in environments where QAT is used for security-critical operations such as SSL/TLS offloading, cryptographic processing, or data encryption, where the attacker could leverage the privilege escalation to compromise the entire system or access sensitive data.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is primarily limited to authenticated local access, meaning that exploitation requires an attacker to first obtain valid credentials to the target system. However, the potential for privilege escalation makes this particularly dangerous in environments where users may have legitimate administrative access but could be compromised through social engineering, credential theft, or other attack vectors. The vulnerability also poses risk in containerized environments or virtualized systems where QAT acceleration is utilized, as the privilege escalation could potentially be leveraged to compromise the underlying host system or other containers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-39833 focus primarily on updating to Intel QAT software version 2.3.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the uncontrolled search path issue. Organizations should prioritize patching all systems running affected QAT software, particularly those in security-sensitive roles or environments where privilege escalation could lead to significant damage. Additional mitigations include implementing strict library loading policies, monitoring for suspicious library loading behavior, and applying principle of least privilege access controls to limit local user access. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms such as application whitelisting or binary integrity checking to prevent exploitation even if other controls fail. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would place it within the Privilege Escalation tactics, specifically leveraging techniques related to DLL injection and library loading manipulation.