CVE-2024-36283
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel Thread Director Visualizer software allows authenticated local users to escalate privileges by manipulating the software's search path. It affects users running vulnerable versions of this Intel performance monitoring tool on Windows systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel(R) Thread Director Visualizer
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Authenticated attacker gains SYSTEM/administrator privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence mechanisms, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Privileged user or malware with user-level access escalates to administrative rights to install additional malware, modify system configurations, or bypass security controls.
If Mitigated
With proper user privilege separation and application whitelisting, impact is limited to the compromised user account only.
🎯 Exploit Status
CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) vulnerabilities typically involve DLL hijacking or similar path manipulation attacks that are relatively straightforward for attackers with local access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.0.1
Vendor Advisory: https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01232.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Thread Director Visualizer version 1.0.1 or later from Intel's official website. 2. Uninstall previous vulnerable version. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart the system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove vulnerable software
windowsUninstall Intel Thread Director Visualizer if not required for operations
Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > Select Intel Thread Director Visualizer > Uninstall
Restrict execution permissions
windowsLimit who can execute the vulnerable software using group policy or permissions
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement least privilege - ensure users don't have administrative rights unnecessarily
- Use application control/whitelisting to prevent unauthorized DLL loading or execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check installed programs for Intel Thread Director Visualizer version less than 1.0.1Check Version:
wmic product where "name like 'Intel%Thread Director%Visualizer%'" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Intel Thread Director Visualizer version is 1.0.1 or higher in installed programs📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Process creation events for Intel Thread Director Visualizer with suspicious parent processes
- DLL loading from unusual locations by the application
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local privilege escalation only
SIEM Query:
Process creation where process_name contains 'ThreadDirectorVisualizer' AND parent_process not in ('explorer.exe', 'cmd.exe')