A new security vulnerability (CVE-2023-28746) has been identified in certain Intel Atom processors, posing a risk of information exposure through microarchitectural state after transient execution. An attacker who is authenticated and has local access can exploit this vulnerability for information disclosure purposes. In this extensive post, we will provide an overview of the issue, describe how the exploit works, and provide details on how the vulnerability can be fixed.

Understanding the Vulnerability

The vulnerability is specifically found in some Intel Atom processors, where it may lead to information exposure through microarchitectural state after transient execution. By leveraging this potential weakness, an authenticated hacker can access sensitive data from the register files via local access. This issue has been marked as CVE-2023-28746 in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database.

1. Intel Security Advisory: INTEL-SA-YYY
2. MITRE CVE-2023-28746: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=2023-28746
3. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28746

Code Snippet Example

Here is a simplified example of how an attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability with a code snippet in C:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

// Function to read the register value
uint64_t read_register() {
  uint32_t eax = , edx = ;
  asm volatile("Some Assembler Intruction to access the register"
               : "=a"(eax), "=d"(edx)
               : ""(xYYY)  // Some register value or instruction
               : "ebx", "ecx");
  return ((uint64_t)edx << 32) | eax;
}

// Main function to carry out the exploit
int main() {
  printf("Reading register value:\n");
  uint64_t register_value = read_register();
  printf("Value: %llu\n", register_value);
  getchar();
  return ;
}

Exploit Details

The exploit focuses on manipulating the state of certain register files within Intel Atom processors. It does this by leveraging transient execution, which allows an attacker to access information that would not normally be available. Hacker must be authenticated and have local access to the vulnerable system to carry out the attack.

To conduct the exploit, an attacker would need to carry out the following steps

1. Determine the vulnerable Intel Atom processor in use and target the specific register files for manipulation.
2. Use the code snippet provided above or a similar one to access the microarchitectural state of the register files during transient execution.

Mitigation and Solutions

To fix the vulnerability, Intel has released both microcode updates and software patches. Users are advised to update or patch their systems to minimize risks associated with this vulnerability.

Here are some general tips to help mitigate the impact of the CVE-2023-28746 vulnerability

1. Always keep your system up to date with the latest security updates and patches, as well as make sure to use supported software and hardware.
2. Implement access control and privilege separation to restrict unauthorized users from gaining local access to your system.
3. Monitor and analyze your system for any suspicious activities that may indicate a potential security breach or attempted exploit.

For more information about CVE-2023-28746 and how to protect your system, please consult the Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-YYY, MITRE CVE-2023-28746 database, and the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Entry. Stay informed and take necessary precautions to safeguard your devices from attacks that exploit vulnerabilities like this.

Timeline

Published on: 03/14/2024 17:15:50 UTC
Last modified on: 03/14/2024 18:11:35 UTC