CVE-2025-13664
📋 TL;DR
A privilege escalation vulnerability in Quartus Prime Standard Edition Design Software could allow local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This affects users running vulnerable versions of the software on their systems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of files or processes.
💻 Affected Systems
- Quartus Prime Standard Edition Design Software
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with local access could gain full system control, install malware, steal sensitive design data, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Malicious users or compromised accounts could elevate privileges to install unauthorized software or access restricted system resources.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and limited user privileges, impact would be contained to the user's own environment.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and some technical knowledge to exploit. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Intel/Altera security advisory ASA-0002 for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://www.altera.com/security/security-advisory/asa-0002
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review Intel/Altera security advisory ASA-0002. 2. Download and install the latest patched version of Quartus Prime Standard Edition. 3. Restart the system to ensure all components are updated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict User Privileges
allRun Quartus Prime software with minimal necessary privileges using standard user accounts instead of administrative accounts.
Application Whitelisting
allImplement application control policies to restrict execution of unauthorized binaries that might be used in exploitation.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate Quartus Prime systems from critical networks and restrict access to authorized users only.
- Implement strict access controls and monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Quartus Prime version against affected versions listed in Intel/Altera advisory ASA-0002.Check Version:
On Windows: Check via Programs and Features or run 'quartus --version' from command line. On Linux: Run 'quartus --version' or check installation directory.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify installed Quartus Prime version matches or exceeds the patched version specified in the advisory.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation with elevated privileges
- Quartus Prime processes spawning unexpected child processes
- Failed privilege escalation attempts in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Quartus Prime processes
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process contains 'quartus' and child process runs with elevated privileges