CVE-2022-21128
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel Advisor software allows authenticated local users to potentially escalate privileges due to insufficient control flow management. It affects users running Intel Advisor versions before 7.6.0.37 on systems where the software is installed.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel Advisor
📦 What is this software?
Advisor by Intel
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker could gain SYSTEM/root privileges on the affected system, potentially taking full control of the machine.
Likely Case
A local user with standard privileges could elevate to administrative privileges, enabling installation of malware, data theft, or persistence mechanisms.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and least privilege principles, impact is limited to the specific Intel Advisor installation scope.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated local access and knowledge of the vulnerability. No public exploits have been reported.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 7.6.0.37 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00661.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Advisor version 7.6.0.37 or later from Intel's website. 2. Run the installer as administrator. 3. Follow installation prompts. 4. Restart the system when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local access
allLimit which users have local access to systems running Intel Advisor
Remove Intel Advisor
windowsUninstall Intel Advisor if not required for operations
Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > Select Intel Advisor > Uninstall
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit which users can access systems with Intel Advisor installed
- Monitor for privilege escalation attempts and unusual process behavior on affected systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Intel Advisor version in the application or via installed programs listCheck Version:
On Windows: Check in Control Panel > Programs > Intel Advisor properties. On Linux: Check package manager or run 'advisor --version'Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Intel Advisor version is 7.6.0.37 or higher after update📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation events
- Intel Advisor process spawning with elevated privileges
- Security log events showing local privilege escalation
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
EventID=4672 OR EventID=4688 with process name containing 'advisor' OR sudo/privilege escalation logs on Linux systems