CVE-2022-27635
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows a privileged user on a local system to escalate privileges through improper access control in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi software. It affects systems running vulnerable versions of these Intel wireless drivers and management software. Successful exploitation could give attackers higher system privileges than intended.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software
- Intel Killer WiFi software
📦 What is this software?
Fedora by Fedoraproject
Fedora by Fedoraproject
Fedora by Fedoraproject
Killer by Intel
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
A local attacker with initial privileged access could gain SYSTEM/root-level privileges, potentially taking full control of the affected system, installing persistent malware, or accessing sensitive data.
Likely Case
A malicious insider or compromised account with local access could elevate privileges to install additional malware, bypass security controls, or maintain persistence on the system.
If Mitigated
With proper privilege separation and least privilege principles, the impact is limited as the vulnerability requires initial privileged access to exploit.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires existing local privileged access. No public exploit code has been identified, but the vulnerability is relatively straightforward for attackers with initial access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Varies by product and OS - check Intel advisory for specific versions
Vendor Advisory: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00766.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit Intel's security advisory page. 2. Identify your specific Intel wireless product. 3. Download and install the updated driver/software package from Intel's website or your OS vendor. 4. Restart the system to complete installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove vulnerable software
allUninstall Intel PROSet/Wireless or Killer WiFi management software if not required
Windows: Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > Select Intel wireless software
Linux: Use package manager to remove intel-wifi packages
Restrict local access
allImplement strict access controls to limit who has local privileged access to affected systems
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict least privilege principles to limit initial attack surface
- Monitor for privilege escalation attempts and unusual process behavior
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Intel wireless driver version in Device Manager (Windows) or via 'lspci -v' and driver info (Linux). Compare against patched versions in Intel advisory.Check Version:
Windows: wmic path win32_pnpentity where "caption like '%Intel%Wireless%'" get caption,driverVersion
Linux: modinfo iwlwifi | grep versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify installed Intel wireless driver/software version matches or exceeds patched version listed in Intel advisory SA-00766.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation with elevated privileges
- Unexpected access to privileged system resources
- Driver/service modification events
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process is Intel wireless software and child process has elevated privileges🔗 References
- http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00766.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/09/msg00043.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HUCYUR4WBTELCRHELISJ3RMZVHKIV5TN/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/K24OJT4AVMNND7LBTC2ZDDTE6DJHAKB4/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y76A3PLHIQCEPESB4XVBV5SRRXQEZ5JY/
- http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00766.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/09/msg00043.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HUCYUR4WBTELCRHELISJ3RMZVHKIV5TN/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/K24OJT4AVMNND7LBTC2ZDDTE6DJHAKB4/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y76A3PLHIQCEPESB4XVBV5SRRXQEZ5JY/
