CVE-2025-20103 in Processor
Summary
by MITRE • 05/14/2025
Insufficient resource pool in the core management mechanism for some Intel(R) Processors may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2025
This vulnerability resides in the core management mechanism of certain Intel processors, specifically affecting resource pool allocation within the processor's management framework. The flaw manifests as insufficient resource pool sizing that can be exploited by authenticated local users to induce denial of service conditions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate provisioning of computational resources within the processor's management infrastructure, creating potential points of failure that can be systematically exhausted through malicious local access. The core management mechanism governs critical processor operations including cache management, memory allocation, and execution resource distribution, making this flaw particularly concerning for system stability and availability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the processor's resource pool management subsystem where insufficient allocation of critical computational resources creates exploitable conditions. An authenticated user with local access can manipulate resource allocation patterns to exhaust available pools, leading to system instability or complete system unresponsiveness. The flaw operates at the hardware level within the processor's core management architecture, specifically targeting the mechanisms that distribute and manage computational resources during normal operation. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-775 which addresses the improper handling of resource pools and allocation mechanisms, representing a fundamental weakness in resource management design that can be leveraged for denial of service attacks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can severely compromise system availability and reliability for authenticated local users who understand the resource pool manipulation techniques. The denial of service condition can manifest as complete system lockups, application failures, or extended periods of unresponsiveness that can persist until system reboot or manual intervention. The local access requirement means that exploitation is limited to users who already have authenticated access to the system, but this still represents a significant risk in multi-user environments where privilege escalation or lateral movement could occur. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affecting mission-critical systems where processor resource management is essential for proper operation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both software and hardware level protections. System administrators should implement strict access controls and monitoring to detect unusual resource pool manipulation patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The processor firmware updates from Intel will address the underlying resource pool allocation mechanisms and should be deployed immediately across affected systems. Additional protective measures include implementing resource monitoring tools that can detect abnormal resource pool exhaustion patterns and establishing automated alerting systems to notify administrators of potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing privilege separation mechanisms and limiting local access to only necessary users to reduce the attack surface for this specific vulnerability. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which addresses resource exhaustion attacks and emphasizes the importance of proper resource management in system security.