CVE-2023-22661 – A buffer overflow vulnerability in Intel Server... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-22661?

CVE-2023-22661 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (HIGH). A buffer overflow vulnerability in Intel Server Board BMC firmware allows privileged users with local access to escalate privileges. This affects servers with Intel Server Board BMC firmware versions before 2.90. Attackers could gain higher-level access to the BMC management interface.

📋 TL;DR

A buffer overflow vulnerability in Intel Server Board BMC firmware allows privileged users with local access to escalate privileges. This affects servers with Intel Server Board BMC firmware versions before 2.90. Attackers could gain higher-level access to the BMC management interface.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Intel Server Board BMC firmware

Versions: All versions before 2.90

Operating Systems: Not OS-dependent - affects BMC firmware

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with Intel Server Board BMC. Requires privileged user access to the BMC interface.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete compromise of the BMC, allowing attackers to control server hardware, install persistent malware, bypass security controls, and potentially access the host operating system.

🟠

Likely Case

Privileged attacker gains administrative access to the BMC, enabling them to modify firmware, control power/reset functions, and potentially access host system data.

🟢

If Mitigated

Attackers with local access cannot escalate privileges beyond their current level, maintaining proper access controls and system integrity.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW (BMC interfaces typically not directly internet-facing)

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH (Requires local access, but internal attackers or compromised accounts could exploit this)

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires privileged access to the BMC interface. Buffer overflow exploitation typically requires specific knowledge of the vulnerability.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2.90 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00839.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download BMC firmware version 2.90 or later from Intel support site. 2. Follow Intel's BMC firmware update procedure for your specific server model. 3. Reboot the BMC after update completion.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict BMC Access

all

Limit access to BMC management interface to only authorized administrators

Network Segmentation

all

Isolate BMC management network from general user networks

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict access controls to BMC interface
Monitor BMC access logs for suspicious activity

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check BMC firmware version via IPMI tool: ipmitool mc info | grep 'Firmware Revision'

Check Version:

ipmitool mc info | grep 'Firmware Revision'

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version is 2.90 or higher using same command

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual BMC authentication attempts
BMC firmware modification events
Privilege escalation attempts in BMC logs

Network Indicators:

Unusual traffic to BMC management interface
Multiple failed authentication attempts to BMC

SIEM Query:

source="BMC_logs" AND (event_type="authentication_failure" OR event_type="privilege_change")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-22661

CVSS v3 Score: 8.2 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-120

Published: May 10, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00839.html Patch,Vendor Advisory
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00839.html Patch,Vendor Advisory

📤 Share & Export

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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