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Intel and Lenovo servers impacted by 6-year-old BMC flaw. An almost 6-year-old vulnerability in the Lighttpd web server used in Baseboard Management Controllers has been overlooked by many device vendors, including Intel and Lenovo. The security issue could lead to the exfiltration of process memory addresses, which could help attackers bypass protection mechanisms like Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). Lighttpd is an open-source web server known for being lightweight, fast, and efficient, making it ideal for high-traffic websites while consuming minimal system resources. During recent scans of Baseboard Management Controllers (BMC), researchers at Binarly firmware security firm discovered a remotely exploitable heap out-of-bounds (OOB) read vulnerability through the Lighttpd web server processing "folded" HTTP request headers. Although the vulnerability was addressed in August 2018, the maintainers of Lighthttpd patched it silently in version 1.4.51 without assigning a tracking ID (CVE). This led the developers of AMI MegaRAC BMC to miss the fix and fail to integrate it into the product. The vulnerability thus trickled down the supply chain to system vendors and their customers. Impact and status BMCs are microcontrollers embedded on server-grade motherboards, including systems used in data centers and cloud environments, that enable remote management, rebooting, monitoring, and firmware updating on the device. Binarly found that AMI failed to apply the Lighttpd fix from 2019 until 2023, leading to the roll-out of a large number of devices vulnerable to the remotely exploitable bug throughout these years. "According to Binarly Transparency Platform data, we see multiple products from Intel, Lenovo, and Supermicro are impacted," Binarly told BleepingComputer. "Based on our data, nearly 2000+ devices are impacted in the field. In reality, this number is even bigger." The threat analysts assigned three internal identifiers to the Lighttpd vulnerability based on its impact on different vendors and devices: Among the vendors with impacted devices are Intel and Lenovo, who Binarly notified of the problem in their devices. The firmware security company notes some Intel systems released as recently as February 22, 2023, include the vulnerable component. However, both vendors said the impacted models had reached end-of-life (EOL) and no longer receive security updates, meaning that they will likely remain vulnerable until decommissioned. According to Binarly, there is a "massive number" of vulnerable and publicly available BMC devices that have reached end-of-life and will remain vulnerable forever due to the lack of patches. Binarly's report provides technical details about the vulnerability and how it works, which could allow an attacker to develop an exploit. The researchers note that this is another example of gaps in the firmware supply chain that introduce security risks that could extend over several years. Lack of transparency and failing to raise awareness about the vulnerability from the Lighttpd maintainers also adds to the problem, leading to vendors failing to integrate the necessary fixes in due time.

Daily Brief Summary

DATA BREACH // Decade-Old Server Vulnerability Affects Intel, Lenovo Devices

A six-year-old vulnerability in the Lighttpd web server impacts Intel and Lenovo Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs).

The flaw could allow attackers to exfiltrate process memory addresses, undermining Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) protections.

Originally patched in 2018, Lighttpd maintainers did not publicly disclose this, leading to oversight by device firmware developers.

Binarly firmware security discovered the vulnerability was still present in devices, affecting nearly 2000 in the field, potentially more.

Impacted devices include, but are not limited to, Intel and Lenovo systems, some of which were released as recently as February 2023.

Vendors indicated that affected models are end-of-life and will not receive further security updates, remaining susceptible until decommission.

The case highlights significant challenges and potential long-term security risks due to gaps in the firmware supply chain and transparency.