CVE-2024-31155

Vulnerability

Analysis

The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-31155 and documented in Intel advisory INTEL-SA-01198 [1], resides in the UEFI firmware for specific Intel(R) processors. It stems from improper buffer restrictions, a class of memory safety issues where the firmware fails to enforce correct bounds checking on data buffers. This flaw can be triggered by a local attacker who already possesses some form of elevated privilege (e.g., kernel or administrative access) on the system.

Attack

Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have prior access to the system with privileges sufficient to interact with the vulnerable UEFI firmware interface. No network attack vector is present. The exploitation process involves passing crafted data to the firmware's buffer handling routines, causing an out-of-bounds memory access that can corrupt critical firmware structures.

Impact

Successful exploitation can lead to escalation of privilege within the firmware or system context. This may allow the attacker to bypass security controls, execute arbitrary code in a privileged ring (SMM or similar), or compromise the integrity of the boot chain. According to the advisory [1], the CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 (High), reflecting the significant potential for system compromise.

Mitigation

Intel has released firmware updates to address this vulnerability. Users are advised to check their system vendor for the latest UEFI firmware update and apply it promptly. No publicly known workarounds are available; patching is the recommended course of action [1].