CVE-2022-40207
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel SUR software allows authenticated local users to escalate privileges due to improper access control. Attackers could gain higher system permissions than intended. Organizations using affected Intel SUR versions are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel(R) SUR (Software Update and Reporting)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker gains full administrative control over the system, potentially compromising the entire host and accessing sensitive data.
Likely Case
Local authenticated users (including low-privilege accounts) escalate to SYSTEM/root privileges, enabling installation of malware, data theft, or lateral movement.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and patching, impact is limited to authorized users only, preventing privilege escalation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated local access. The CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) suggests straightforward exploitation once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.4.8989 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00785.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel SUR version 2.4.8989 or later from Intel's official website. 2. Run the installer with administrative privileges. 3. Restart the system as prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Intel SUR Service
windowsTemporarily disable the Intel SUR service to prevent exploitation while awaiting patch deployment.
sc stop "Intel(R) Software Update and Reporting"
sc config "Intel(R) Software Update and Reporting" start= disabled
Remove Intel SUR Software
windowsUninstall Intel SUR completely if not required for operations.
wmic product where name="Intel(R) Software Update and Reporting" call uninstall /nointeractive
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with Intel SUR installed to trusted administrators only.
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized processes that might exploit this vulnerability.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Intel SUR version via Control Panel > Programs and Features (Windows) or 'rpm -qa | grep sur' (Linux). If version is below 2.4.8989, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*Intel*Software Update*"} | Select-Object Name, VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Intel SUR version is 2.4.8989 or higher after patching. Check that the service is running normally without errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events in Windows Security logs (Event ID 4672, 4688)
- Intel SUR service crashes or abnormal behavior in application logs
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="windows_security" EventID=4672 OR EventID=4688 | search "Intel SUR" OR "Intel Software Update"