Intel CPU Speculative Execution information disclosure

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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5.3$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Intel CPU and classified as critical. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the component Speculative Execution. Executing a manipulation can lead to information disclosure. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2018-3640. The attack may be performed from remote. There is no available exploit. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Intel CPU (Chip Software) (the affected version is unknown). This vulnerability affects an unknown code of the component Speculative Execution. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a information disclosure vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-200. The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality. CVE summarizes:

On Intel-based platforms, systems with microprocessors utilizing speculative execution and that perform speculative reads of system registers may allow unauthorized disclosure of system parameters to an attacker with local user access via a side-channel analysis, aka Rogue System Register Read (RSRE), Variant 3a.

The bug was discovered 05/21/2018. The weakness was presented 05/22/2018 by Jann Horn (Alex) with Google Project Zero as cisco-sa-20180521-cpusidechann as confirmed advisory (Website). The advisory is shared for download at tools.cisco.com. This vulnerability was named CVE-2018-3640 since 12/28/2017. The attack can be initiated remotely. No form of authentication is required for a successful exploitation. There are neither technical details nor an exploit publicly available. The MITRE ATT&CK project declares the attack technique as T1592.

The vulnerability was handled as a non-public zero-day exploit for at least 1 days. During that time the estimated underground price was around $5k-$25k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 111359 (Debian DLA-1446-1 : intel-microcode security update (Spectre)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family Debian Local Security Checks and running in the context l. The commercial vulnerability scanner Qualys is able to test this issue with plugin 371045 (F5 BIG-IP ASM Multiple Vulnerabilitites (K24578092,K29146534,K51801290,K93472064)).

Upgrading eliminates this vulnerability. A possible mitigation has been published 3 months after the disclosure of the vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (111359) and SecurityFocus (BID 104228†). See VDB-97117, VDB-109797, VDB-118107 and VDB-126287 for similar entries. Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

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CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.4
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.3

VulDB Base Score: 5.3
VulDB Temp Score: 5.1
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 5.6
NVD Vector: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Information disclosure
CWE: CWE-200 / CWE-284 / CWE-266
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 111359
Nessus Name: Debian DLA-1446-1 : intel-microcode security update (Spectre)
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍
Nessus Context: 🔍

Qualys ID: 🔍
Qualys Name: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍

Timelineinfo

12/28/2017 🔍
05/21/2018 +144 days 🔍
05/21/2018 +0 days 🔍
05/22/2018 +0 days 🔍
05/22/2018 +0 days 🔍
05/23/2018 +1 days 🔍
07/27/2018 +65 days 🔍
07/27/2018 +0 days 🔍
01/27/2025 +2376 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: intel.com

Advisory: cisco-sa-20180521-cpusidechann
Researcher: Jann Horn (Alex)
Organization: Google Project Zero
Status: Confirmed
Confirmation: 🔍

CVE: CVE-2018-3640 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2018-3640
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-118108

OVAL: 🔍

CERT: 🔍
SecurityFocus: 104228 - Multiple CPU Hardwares CVE-2018-3640 Information Disclosure Vulnerability
SecurityTracker: 1040949

See also: 🔍

Entryinfo

Created: 05/23/2018 08:42
Updated: 01/27/2025 05:31
Changes: 05/23/2018 08:42 (79), 02/08/2020 08:50 (8), 03/14/2023 19:23 (4), 01/27/2025 05:31 (15)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216:E82:103

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