CVE-2022-21151: Intel Celeron N6210 Info Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2022-21151 Overview

CVE-2022-21151 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting a wide range of Intel processors. The vulnerability stems from processor optimization techniques that may remove or modify security-critical code. An authenticated user with local access to an affected system could potentially exploit this flaw to disclose sensitive information from processor operations.

This hardware-level vulnerability affects processor firmware across multiple Intel product families, including consumer Core processors (6th through 10th generation), Celeron and Pentium Silver processors, and enterprise-class Xeon Scalable processors. The vulnerability's local access requirement means an attacker must already have some level of system access before exploitation is possible.

Critical Impact

Authenticated local attackers can potentially extract sensitive information through processor optimization side effects, affecting confidentiality of data processed by vulnerable Intel CPUs.

Affected Products

• Intel Core i3, i5, i7, i9 processors (6th through 10th generation)
• Intel Celeron N-series and J-series processors
• Intel Pentium Silver processors
• Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Gold, Platinum, Silver series)
• Intel Core M processors
• NetApp FAS BIOS
• Debian Linux 10.0 and 11.0

Discovery Timeline

• May 12, 2022 - CVE-2022-21151 published to NVD
• May 5, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-21151

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exists within the microarchitectural behavior of affected Intel processors. During code execution, modern processors employ various optimization techniques to improve performance, including speculative execution, branch prediction, and code reordering. In this case, certain processor optimizations may inadvertently remove or modify code segments that are critical for maintaining security boundaries.

The vulnerability allows an authenticated local user to potentially observe or infer sensitive information that should otherwise be protected. This type of side-channel vulnerability exploits the gap between the logical security model and the actual physical implementation of the processor.

Unlike remote exploitation scenarios, this vulnerability requires the attacker to have local access to the system, which somewhat limits the attack surface but remains significant in multi-tenant environments, shared computing resources, and systems where privilege separation is critical.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in how Intel processors handle optimization of security-critical code paths. Processor optimization mechanisms designed to improve performance may alter the execution flow of security-sensitive operations in ways that create observable side effects. These side effects can potentially leak information about the data being processed or the operations being performed.

The vulnerability classification as "NVD-CWE-Other" indicates this is a hardware-specific issue that doesn't fit neatly into standard software vulnerability categories, reflecting the unique nature of processor-level security flaws.

Attack Vector

Exploitation of CVE-2022-21151 requires local access to the affected system with authenticated user privileges. The attack does not require elevated permissions or user interaction once the attacker has local access.

An attacker positioned with local access could craft specific code sequences designed to trigger the optimization behavior and observe resulting information leakage. This could potentially allow extraction of:

• Cryptographic keys or sensitive data from other processes
• Information about memory contents or system state
• Data that crosses security boundaries within the processor

The local attack vector with low complexity makes this vulnerability accessible to authenticated attackers, though the requirement for local access provides some protection against remote exploitation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-21151

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual patterns of local code execution designed to trigger processor optimization behaviors
• Processes making repetitive, carefully-timed operations that could indicate side-channel attack attempts
• Unexpected information access patterns from authenticated but unprivileged users

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for firmware versions known to be vulnerable using asset management tools
• Implement endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying side-channel attack techniques
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity for behavioral analysis that can detect anomalous process execution patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Maintain an inventory of all systems with Intel processors to identify vulnerable hardware
• Monitor for Intel microcode and BIOS/UEFI firmware update deployments across the environment
• Track vendor security advisories from Intel, system manufacturers, and operating system vendors for updated guidance

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-21151

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Intel Security Advisory SA-00617 for the complete list of affected processors and available mitigations
• Apply available firmware and microcode updates from Intel and system manufacturers
• For Debian Linux systems, apply updates referenced in DSA-5178
• For NetApp FAS systems, consult the NetApp Security Advisory

Patch Information

Intel has released microcode updates to address this vulnerability. The patches are distributed through:

1. Intel microcode updates - Available directly from Intel and through operating system vendors
2. BIOS/UEFI firmware updates - Provided by system manufacturers (OEMs) that incorporate Intel's microcode fixes
3. Operating system packages - Linux distributions like Debian provide intel-microcode packages with the necessary updates

Organizations should coordinate firmware updates with their hardware vendors to ensure compatibility and proper deployment. For Debian-based systems, the intel-microcode package contains the necessary processor microcode updates.

Workarounds

• Restrict local access to affected systems to only trusted, authenticated users
• Implement strict access controls and privilege separation to limit potential attacker positioning
• Consider hardware isolation for highly sensitive workloads where microcode updates cannot be immediately applied
• Monitor systems for unusual local activity patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts

# Check current Intel microcode version on Linux
cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep microcode

# Update Intel microcode on Debian/Ubuntu systems
sudo apt update
sudo apt install intel-microcode

# Verify microcode update after reboot
dmesg | grep microcode