CVE-2018-3701 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software version 20.100 and earlier may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

Understanding CVE-2018-3701

The vulnerability in Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software could lead to privilege escalation for authenticated users.

What is CVE-2018-3701?

The installer for Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software version 20.100 and previous versions may have incorrect permissions set for directories, potentially allowing a user with authenticated access to locally elevate their privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2018-3701

An authenticated user could exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges locally.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-3701

The technical details of the CVE-2018-3701 vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

Improper directory permissions in the installer for Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software version 20.100 and earlier may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software Advisory
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: Versions 20.100 and before

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability could be exploited by a user with authenticated access to locally elevate their privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2018-3701 vulnerability:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software to a version that addresses the directory permissions issue.
Monitor and restrict user permissions to minimize the risk of privilege escalation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update directory permissions on systems to prevent similar vulnerabilities.
Educate users on best practices for maintaining secure access controls.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by Intel to fix the directory permissions vulnerability.