CVE-2021-0193
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel In-Band Manageability software allows a privileged user to bypass authentication mechanisms via network access, potentially enabling privilege escalation. It affects systems running vulnerable versions of the Intel software, primarily impacting administrators or users with existing privileges on managed devices.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel(R) In-Band Manageability software
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with network access and existing privileges could gain full administrative control over the system, leading to data theft, system compromise, or further network infiltration.
Likely Case
A malicious insider or compromised account could exploit this to elevate privileges, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive management functions or data.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and least-privilege access controls, the impact is limited to isolated systems, reducing the risk of widespread compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires the attacker to have some level of privileged access initially, making it more relevant for insider threats or compromised accounts.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 2.13.0 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00549.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the latest Intel In-Band Manageability software version 2.13.0 or higher from Intel's official site. 2. Follow the vendor's installation guide to apply the update. 3. Restart the system to ensure changes take effect.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Intel In-Band Manageability
linuxTemporarily disable the software to mitigate the vulnerability until patching is possible.
sudo systemctl stop intel-ibm
sudo systemctl disable intel-ibm
Restrict Network Access
linuxLimit network access to the management interface using firewall rules to reduce exposure.
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <management_port> -j DROP
Replace <management_port> with the actual port used by the software.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate systems running vulnerable software from critical assets.
- Enforce least-privilege access controls and monitor for unusual authentication attempts or privilege escalation activities.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the installed version of Intel In-Band Manageability software; if it's below 2.13.0, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Linux: sudo intel-ibm --version or check via package manager. On Windows: Check in Programs and Features or use command-line tools specific to the software.Verify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify that the software version is 2.13.0 or higher and that authentication mechanisms are functioning correctly.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual authentication failures or successes in Intel In-Band Manageability logs
- Log entries indicating privilege escalation attempts
Network Indicators:
- Suspicious network traffic to the management port from unauthorized sources
- Anomalies in authentication packets
SIEM Query:
Example: 'source="intel-ibm" AND (event_type="auth_failure" OR event_type="privilege_change")'