CVE-2022-21174
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated users with local access to Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition to escalate privileges through improper access control in a third-party component. It affects users running versions before 21.3 of this FPGA design software. The attack requires local system access and valid user credentials.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker gains full administrative control over the system, potentially installing malware, stealing intellectual property, or compromising other systems on the network.
Likely Case
A malicious insider or compromised user account escalates privileges to install unauthorized software, modify system configurations, or access restricted data.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and least privilege principles, impact is limited to the compromised user's scope of access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires authenticated local access and knowledge of the vulnerable component. No public exploit code has been disclosed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 21.3 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00632.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition version 21.3 or later from Intel's website. 2. Uninstall the vulnerable version. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart the system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Local Access
allLimit physical and remote local access to systems running Quartus Prime Pro Edition to only authorized personnel.
Implement Least Privilege
allEnsure users only have the minimum necessary privileges for their roles, reducing impact if exploitation occurs.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected systems on network segments with strict access controls
- Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized software execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Quartus Prime version via Help > About in the GUI or run 'quartus_sh --version' in terminal/command prompt.Check Version:
quartus_sh --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 21.3 or higher using the same methods, and check that no unauthorized privilege changes have occurred.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
- Unauthorized access to system files or directories
- Changes to user account permissions
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Quartus Prime systems
- Lateral movement attempts from affected systems
SIEM Query:
source="windows_security" EventID=4672 OR source="linux_auth" message="privilege escalation" AND process_name="quartus*"