CVE-2023-45846
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel Power Gadget for macOS allows authenticated local users to cause denial of service through incomplete cleanup of resources. It affects all versions of Intel Power Gadget software running on macOS systems. The issue requires local access and authentication to exploit.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel Power Gadget
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
System instability or crash requiring reboot, potentially disrupting user work or services running on affected macOS systems.
Likely Case
Application-level denial of service affecting Intel Power Gadget functionality, possibly requiring restart of the application.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper access controls limiting local authenticated users and monitoring for abnormal application behavior.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local authenticated access and knowledge of the incomplete cleanup condition. No public exploit code identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Latest version from Intel (check Intel advisory for specific version)
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01037.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-01037
2. Download latest Intel Power Gadget for macOS
3. Uninstall current version
4. Install updated version
5. Restart system
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Uninstall Intel Power Gadget
macOSRemove vulnerable software if not required
sudo rm -rf /Applications/Intel\ Power\ Gadget.app
sudo rm -rf /Library/Application\ Support/Intel/Power\ Gadget
Restrict local user access
macOSLimit which users can run Intel Power Gadget
sudo chmod 750 /Applications/Intel\ Power\ Gadget.app
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict application execution to trusted users only
- Monitor system logs for abnormal Power Gadget behavior or crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Intel Power Gadget is installed: ls /Applications/ | grep -i 'intel power gadget'Check Version:
Check application version in Intel Power Gadget About menu or package metadataVerify Fix Applied:
Verify latest version installed and check application version in About dialog📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected Intel Power Gadget crashes
- System instability events following Power Gadget usage
- Kernel panic logs potentially related to power management
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (process="Intel Power Gadget" OR message CONTAINS "Power Gadget") AND (severity="ERROR" OR severity="CRITICAL")