CVE-2018-12188

Vulnerability

Insufficient input validation in Intel Converged Security Management Engine (CSME) before versions 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60, or 12.0.20 and Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) before versions 3.1.60 or 4.0.10 allows an unauthenticated user to potentially modify data via physical access [1]. The vulnerability resides in the input validation logic of these firmware components.

Exploitation

An attacker with physical access to the target system can exploit this vulnerability without any authentication. The exact sequence of steps involves manipulating input to the affected component, leveraging the insufficient validation to cause unintended data modification [1]. No user interaction or special privileges are required beyond physical presence.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to modify data on the system. This impacts integrity, potentially leading to altered system state or configuration. The attacker gains no elevated privileges but can corrupt data at the firmware level [1].

Mitigation

Intel has released fixed versions: CSME 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60, 12.0.20 and TXE 3.1.60, 4.0.10. Users should update to these or later versions. No workarounds are documented. The vulnerability is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog as of the publication date [1].