CVE-2020-0555

Vulnerability

An improper input validation vulnerability exists in some Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R) products. The flaw resides in the Bluetooth driver or firmware component that handles input from user-space applications. An authenticated user with local access can exploit this by providing specially crafted input to the affected driver, triggering the validation flaw. The specific affected products and versions are detailed in the Intel security advisory [1].

Exploitation

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must have valid credentials on the target system and physical or local access to the machine. No network-based attack vector is involved. The attacker would execute a local program that sends malformed data to the Bluetooth driver, bypassing input validation checks. The exact sequence of steps is not publicly detailed, but the attack requires user interaction only to the extent of running the exploit code [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to escalate privileges on the affected system. This could lead to gaining higher-level permissions, such as SYSTEM or root, depending on the operating system. The impact is limited to local privilege escalation; remote code execution or data exfiltration over the network is not possible through this vulnerability [1].

Mitigation

Intel has released firmware updates to address this vulnerability. Affected users should apply the latest updates from their device manufacturer or Intel's download center. The advisory [1] provides a list of affected products and the corresponding fixed versions. No workarounds are available; updating the Bluetooth driver or firmware is the only mitigation. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.