CVE-2024-28049
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker on the same network to cause denial of service by sending specially crafted packets to affected Intel Wi-Fi adapters. It affects systems with Intel PROSet/Wireless or Killer Wi-Fi software before version 23.40.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel PROSet/Wireless Software
- Intel Killer Wi-Fi Software
📦 What is this software?
Killer by Intel
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete disruption of Wi-Fi connectivity on affected systems, requiring physical intervention or reboot to restore functionality.
Likely Case
Temporary Wi-Fi disconnection or degraded performance on vulnerable systems when targeted by malicious adjacent network traffic.
If Mitigated
No impact if systems are patched or isolated from untrusted networks.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires adjacent network access but no authentication. The advisory suggests the attack is relatively straightforward.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 23.40 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01108.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Driver & Support Assistant from Intel website. 2. Run the tool to detect affected drivers. 3. Follow prompts to update to version 23.40 or later. 4. Restart the system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate vulnerable systems from untrusted network segments using VLANs or firewall rules.
Disable Vulnerable Adapter
windowsTemporarily disable the Intel Wi-Fi adapter if not needed, using wired Ethernet instead.
netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit adjacent device communication
- Monitor for unusual Wi-Fi disconnection patterns and network traffic anomalies
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Intel Driver & Support Assistant or Device Manager for Wi-Fi driver version. If version is below 23.40, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wmic path win32_pnpsigneddriver where "devicename like '%wireless%'" get devicename, driverversionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Wi-Fi driver version is 23.40 or higher in Device Manager or using Intel's tools.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple Wi-Fi adapter resets
- Driver crash events in system logs
- Unexpected network disconnections
Network Indicators:
- Unusual broadcast/multicast traffic targeting Wi-Fi MAC addresses
- Suspicious adjacent network scanning
SIEM Query:
EventID=1001 OR EventID=6008 OR (Source="Intel" AND EventText CONTAINS "wireless" AND EventText CONTAINS "error")