Overview
The vulnerability CVE-2025-20100 represents a significant risk for systems utilizing certain Intel(R) Xeon(R) 6 processors with E-cores. Improper access control in the memory controller configurations of these processors may potentially allow a privileged user to escalate their permissions through local access, leading to severe consequences such as system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-20100
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: High (privileged user)
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Intel(R) Xeon(R) 6 Processor E-cores | All versions prior to patch
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of improper access control in the memory controller configurations of Intel(R) Xeon(R) 6 processors with E-cores. A privileged user can manipulate these configurations to escalate their privileges. This could allow the malicious user to execute commands or access data they should not have access to, leading to potential system compromise and data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited in a Linux environment:
# Privileged user accesses the memory controller configuration
sudo cat /proc/meminfo
# Maliciously modifies memory controller configuration
echo "malicious_configuration" | sudo tee /proc/sys/vm/dirty_writeback_centisecsThis is a simplified example for illustrative purposes. Actual exploitation would likely involve more complex manipulation of memory controller configurations, and potentially other system components.
In response to this vulnerability, Intel has provided a patch to correct the access control configurations. As a temporary mitigation, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can help to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
