Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new vulnerabilities being discovered regularly. One such vulnerability is CVE-2025-20093, a significant security flaw that affects the Linux kernel-mode driver for some Intel(R) 800 Series Ethernet products before version 1.17.2. Notably, this vulnerability could potentially allow an authenticated user to escalate their privilege via local access, thereby compromising the system or leading to data leakage.
The severity of this vulnerability underscores the importance of robust and proactive cybersecurity measures. It affects a broad range of users, particularly those who are running older versions of the Intel(R) 800 Series Ethernet kernel-mode driver on their systems. The potential for privilege escalation makes this vulnerability especially serious, as it could give malicious actors control over affected systems.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-20093
Severity: High (CVSS score of 8.2)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: User
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Intel(R) 800 Series Ethernet Linux Kernel-Mode Driver | Versions before 1.17.2
How the Exploit Works
This vulnerability arises from an improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions in the Linux kernel-mode driver for certain Intel(R) 800 Series Ethernet products. If an authenticated user with local access to the system attempts to exploit this vulnerability, they could potentially enable escalation of privilege.
In essence, exploiting this vulnerability could allow a malicious user to obtain higher-level permissions than they should have, which could lead to unauthorized actions. These actions could range from unauthorized system changes to data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
While the specific exploitation method would depend on the system configuration and the malicious actor’s intent, a theoretical exploitation might involve a shell command like the following:
$ echo "malicious_payload" > /proc/driver/intel_800_series_ethernetIn this conceptual example, `malicious_payload` represents the code or commands that a malicious actor would use to exploit the vulnerability and escalate their privileges.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor’s patch. Intel has released a patch for this vulnerability in version 1.17.2 of the kernel-mode driver. Users should update their driver to this version or later.
In addition to applying the vendor’s patch, users could also consider using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as temporary mitigation measures. These tools can provide additional protection against potential exploits by monitoring network traffic and blocking or alerting on suspicious activity. However, they should not be used as a substitute for applying the vendor’s patch.