CVE-2022-38351 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Suprema BioStar 2 version 2.8.16, a widely used biometric access control and security management platform. The vulnerability allows an attacker with limited privileges (low privilege user) to escalate their privileges to that of a System Administrator by sending a specially crafted HTTP PUT request to the update profile page. This indicates a flaw in the access control or authorization logic of the application, specifically related to handling profile updates. Exploiting this vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be performed remotely over the network, as the attack vector is network-based (AV:N). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) since gaining System Administrator privileges can lead to full control over the system, including access to sensitive biometric data, modification or deletion of security policies, and disruption of security services. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting the high risk posed by this vulnerability. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the ease of exploitation and the critical nature of the access control bypass make it a significant threat. The underlying weakness corresponds to CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), highlighting a failure to enforce proper authorization checks on privileged operations. Suprema BioStar 2 is commonly deployed in enterprise, government, and critical infrastructure environments for physical access control, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on it for security enforcement.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be severe. Organizations using Suprema BioStar 2 for physical access control could face unauthorized access to secure facilities, potentially leading to theft, espionage, or sabotage. The compromise of System Administrator privileges could allow attackers to manipulate access logs, disable alarms, or create backdoors, undermining the integrity of security operations. Sensitive biometric data stored or processed by the system could be exposed, violating privacy regulations such as GDPR, and resulting in legal and reputational damage. Critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, transportation, and government agencies that rely on Suprema BioStar 2 for controlling access to sensitive areas are at heightened risk. The ability to escalate privileges remotely without user interaction increases the likelihood of targeted attacks or automated exploitation attempts. This vulnerability could also facilitate lateral movement within networks, enabling attackers to pivot to other systems once physical access controls are compromised.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately verify if they are running Suprema BioStar 2 version 2.8.16 or earlier versions that might be affected. Since no official patch links are provided, organizations should contact Suprema support or their vendor representatives to obtain security updates or patches addressing CVE-2022-38351. In the interim, organizations should restrict network access to the BioStar 2 management interface to trusted administrative networks only, using network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure. Implement strict monitoring and logging of access to the update profile page and related administrative functions to detect suspicious PUT requests or privilege escalation attempts. Employ multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to reduce the risk of compromised credentials being leveraged. Conduct regular audits of user privileges and remove unnecessary low-privilege accounts that could be exploited. Additionally, consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block anomalous HTTP PUT requests targeting the update profile endpoint. Finally, ensure that incident response plans include procedures for rapid containment and remediation should exploitation be detected.