CVE-2022-21152 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Intel(R) Edge Insights for Industrial software versions prior to 2.6.1. The flaw arises from improper access control mechanisms within the software, which may allow an authenticated user with local access to the system to disclose sensitive information. Specifically, the vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication, but it does require the attacker to have local access and low privileges (PR:L), indicating that the attacker must already have some level of authenticated access to the system. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (C:H) but does not affect integrity or availability. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) confirms that the attack vector is local, the attack complexity is low, privileges required are low, no user interaction is needed, and the scope is unchanged. Intel Edge Insights for Industrial software is designed for industrial IoT environments, providing data collection, analytics, and visualization for industrial operations. Improper access control in such software can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive operational data, potentially exposing industrial process details, system configurations, or other proprietary information. Since the vulnerability requires local authenticated access, exploitation is limited to insiders or attackers who have already compromised a user account or device within the industrial environment. No known exploits in the wild have been reported, but the risk remains for targeted attacks in industrial settings. The vulnerability was published in August 2022, and users are advised to upgrade to version 2.6.1 or later where the issue is resolved.

For European organizations, particularly those operating in manufacturing, energy, utilities, and other industrial sectors, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive operational data leakage. Disclosure of such information can aid adversaries in mapping industrial processes, identifying weaknesses, or planning further attacks such as sabotage or espionage. Given the critical role of industrial IoT in European manufacturing and infrastructure, unauthorized information disclosure could undermine operational security and competitive advantage. However, since exploitation requires local authenticated access, the threat is primarily from insider threats or attackers who have already breached perimeter defenses. The impact on confidentiality is high, but integrity and availability remain unaffected. This limits the scope of damage but still necessitates prompt remediation to prevent potential escalation or lateral movement within industrial networks.

European organizations using Intel Edge Insights for Industrial software should immediately verify their software version and upgrade to version 2.6.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict access controls and network segmentation to limit local access to the software only to trusted personnel and systems. Implementing robust authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), can reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Regular auditing and monitoring of user activities within industrial environments can help detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct insider threat awareness training and enforce least privilege principles to minimize the risk from authenticated users. Since the vulnerability does not require user interaction, endpoint security solutions should be configured to detect unusual local access patterns. Finally, maintaining an up-to-date inventory of industrial software versions and applying security updates promptly is critical to reducing exposure.