CVE-2024-22476: Intel Neural Compressor Privilege Escalation

CVE-2024-22476 Overview

CVE-2024-22476 is a critical improper input validation vulnerability affecting Intel Neural Compressor software before version 2.5.0. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to potentially enable escalation of privilege via remote access. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the Neural Compressor software, a tool used for optimizing deep learning models for Intel hardware.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability carries the maximum CVSS score of 10.0, indicating catastrophic potential impact. Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this flaw to escalate privileges, potentially gaining complete control over affected systems running vulnerable versions of Intel Neural Compressor.

Affected Products

• Intel(R) Neural Compressor software versions prior to 2.5.0

Discovery Timeline

• May 16, 2024 - CVE-2024-22476 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-22476

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation), which occurs when the software does not validate or incorrectly validates input that can affect the control flow or data flow of a program. In the context of Intel Neural Compressor, the improper input validation allows attackers to supply crafted input remotely that bypasses security controls and enables privilege escalation.

Intel Neural Compressor is an open-source Python library used for optimizing neural network models for deployment on Intel platforms. The vulnerability's network-accessible nature combined with the lack of authentication requirements makes it particularly dangerous in environments where the software is exposed to untrusted networks.

The vulnerability requires no user interaction and no privileges to exploit, and the scope is changed, meaning the vulnerable component impacts resources beyond its security scope. This combination of factors contributes to the maximum severity rating.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-22476 lies in insufficient input validation within the Intel Neural Compressor software. When processing external input, the application fails to properly sanitize or validate data before using it in security-sensitive operations. This oversight allows maliciously crafted input to bypass intended security restrictions and manipulate the application's behavior in unintended ways.

The lack of proper input validation boundaries enables attackers to inject unexpected values or commands that the software processes without adequate security checks, ultimately leading to privilege escalation.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can remotely target systems running vulnerable versions of Intel Neural Compressor by sending specially crafted requests that exploit the input validation weakness.

The exploitation chain typically involves:

1. Identifying a target system running Intel Neural Compressor versions prior to 2.5.0
2. Crafting malicious input designed to bypass input validation
3. Sending the crafted payload to the vulnerable service remotely
4. Achieving privilege escalation upon successful exploitation

Due to the sensitive nature of this vulnerability, specific exploitation details are not provided. For technical information, refer to the Intel Security Advisory SA-01109.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-22476

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected network connections to systems running Intel Neural Compressor services
• Anomalous process spawning or privilege changes associated with Neural Compressor processes
• Unusual input patterns or malformed requests in application logs
• Evidence of unauthorized access or privilege escalation on affected systems

Detection Strategies

• Monitor network traffic for suspicious requests targeting Intel Neural Compressor services
• Implement application-level logging to capture and analyze input received by the Neural Compressor application
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify privilege escalation attempts
• Conduct regular vulnerability scanning to identify systems running vulnerable versions of Intel Neural Compressor

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for Intel Neural Compressor deployments and forward logs to a centralized SIEM solution
• Establish baseline behavior for Neural Compressor processes and alert on deviations
• Monitor for unusual network activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Implement file integrity monitoring on systems running Intel Neural Compressor

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-22476

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Intel Neural Compressor to version 2.5.0 or later immediately
• Audit systems to identify all deployments of Intel Neural Compressor in your environment
• Restrict network access to systems running vulnerable versions until patching is complete
• Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of potentially vulnerable services

Patch Information

Intel has addressed this vulnerability in Intel Neural Compressor version 2.5.0. Organizations should upgrade to this version or later to remediate CVE-2024-22476. For detailed patch information and download links, consult the Intel Security Advisory SA-01109.

Workarounds

• Isolate systems running vulnerable Intel Neural Compressor versions from untrusted networks
• Implement strict network access controls and firewall rules to limit exposure
• Consider disabling or removing Intel Neural Compressor from systems where it is not actively required
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) with rules to detect exploitation attempts

# Upgrade Intel Neural Compressor using pip
pip install --upgrade neural-compressor>=2.5.0

# Verify installed version
pip show neural-compressor | grep Version