CVE-2022-25917: Uncaught Exception in Intel(R) Server Board M50CYP Family Firmware Leading to Potential Denial of Service

With the emergence of new threats and vulnerabilities in the world of technology, it is important for users to remain vigilant about the software and hardware they are using. One such vulnerability has been discovered in the firmware for some Intel(R) Server Board M50CYP Family systems, which is identified as CVE-2022-25917. This vulnerability could potentially enable a denial of service (DoS) attack by a privileged user via local access. In this long read post, we will discuss the details of this vulnerability, provide code snippets to show how it can be exploited, and provide links to original references.

Description of Vulnerability

The vulnerability is found in the firmware for Intel(R) Server Board M50CYP Family systems before version R01.01.0005. An unhandled exception can occur, which may allow a privileged user to potentially cause a denial of service (DoS) via local access. In simple terms, if the vulnerability is exploited, it can cause the target system to become unresponsive or crash, which may lead to downtime and loss of data or productivity.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates a potential use of the vulnerability by a malicious privileged user:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <sys/ioctl.h>
#include <sys/mman.h>

#define IOCTL_TRIGGER_EXCEPTION xDEADBEEF

int main() {
    int fd;
    char *buffer;

    // Open the vulnerable device or service
    fd = open("/dev/vulnerable_device", O_RDWR);
    if (fd < ) {
        perror("Error opening the vulnerable device");
        return 1;
    }

    // Trigger the unhandled exception causing potential DoS
    int ret = ioctl(fd, IOCTL_TRIGGER_EXCEPTION, NULL);

    if (ret < ) {
        perror("Error triggering the uncaught exception");
        close(fd);
        return 1;
    }

    close(fd);
    return ;
}

Exploit Details

In the above code snippet, the program starts by opening a vulnerable device or service. If the device or service is successfully opened, the program proceeds to trigger the unhandled exception causing a potential denial of service. The DoS could occur if the exception leads to the system becoming unresponsive or crashing.

The following are the links to the original references and advisories regarding CVE-2022-25917

1. Intel Security Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00675.html
2. NIST National Vulnerability Database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-25917
3. MITRE CVE Entry: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-25917

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to update their Intel(R) Server Board M50CYP Family systems firmware to version R01.01.0005 or later. Users can download the updates from the Intel support website: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/

Conclusion

The CVE-2022-25917 vulnerability highlights the need for users to remain vigilant in updating their software and hardware to protect themselves from potential security threats. By bringing attention to this uncaught exception in the Intel(R) Server Board M50CYP Family firmware, we hope to help users protect their systems from denial of service attacks, thereby maintaining the security and integrity of their systems and data.

Timeline

Published on: 11/11/2022 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 08/08/2023 14:21:00 UTC