CVE-2018-3641
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-3641 is a critical privilege escalation vulnerability in Intel Remote Keyboard software that allows network attackers to inject keystrokes as local users. This affects all versions of Intel Remote Keyboard software, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability requires the software to be installed and running on the target system.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel Remote Keyboard
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise via remote code execution, data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive systems, credential theft, lateral movement within networks, and data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if software is disabled or network segmentation prevents access to vulnerable systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability allows network-based attackers to inject keystrokes without authentication. Exploitation is straightforward once network access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.0.0.106 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://security-center.intel.com/advisory.aspx?intelid=INTEL-SA-00122&languageid=en-fr
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Remote Keyboard version 3.0.0.106 or later from Intel's website. 2. Uninstall the current version. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart the system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Intel Remote Keyboard Service
windowsStop and disable the Intel Remote Keyboard service to prevent exploitation.
sc stop "Intel(R) Remote Keyboard"
sc config "Intel(R) Remote Keyboard" start= disabled
Uninstall Intel Remote Keyboard
windowsCompletely remove the vulnerable software from the system.
appwiz.cpl
Select 'Intel Remote Keyboard' and click Uninstall
Network Segmentation
allIsolate systems with Intel Remote Keyboard from untrusted networks.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or uninstall Intel Remote Keyboard software immediately
- Implement strict network segmentation and firewall rules to block access to vulnerable systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Intel Remote Keyboard is installed and running. On Windows: Open Services (services.msc) and look for 'Intel(R) Remote Keyboard' service.Check Version:
wmic product where name="Intel Remote Keyboard" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Intel Remote Keyboard version is 3.0.0.106 or later. Check program version in Control Panel > Programs and Features.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected network connections to Intel Remote Keyboard service (default port 59797)
- Service start/stop events for Intel Remote Keyboard
- Unusual keystroke injection patterns
Network Indicators:
- Traffic to/from port 59797 (default Intel Remote Keyboard port)
- Unexpected network connections to systems running Intel Remote Keyboard
SIEM Query:
source="*" ("Intel Remote Keyboard" OR port=59797) AND (event_type="connection" OR event_type="service_start")