CVE-2024-21844 is a medium-severity integer overflow vulnerability identified in the firmware of Intel's Converged Security and Management Engine (CSME). The CSME is a critical subsystem embedded in Intel chipsets responsible for various security and management functions, including secure boot, cryptographic operations, and platform integrity. The vulnerability stems from an integer overflow caused by improper handling of adjacent memory access within the firmware code. This flaw can be triggered by an unauthenticated attacker without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges, exploiting the adjacent access vector to induce a denial of service condition. The overflow may lead to memory corruption or system instability, causing the affected device to crash or become unresponsive. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates the attack requires adjacent access (AV:A), has low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts availability to a low extent (VA:L), with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. While no exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk to systems running affected Intel CSME firmware versions. Intel has not yet released patches, so mitigation currently relies on limiting access and monitoring for updates. The vulnerability affects firmware embedded in Intel chipsets widely used in enterprise and consumer devices, making it relevant for organizations with Intel-based infrastructure.

For European organizations, exploitation of CVE-2024-21844 could result in denial of service conditions on systems utilizing affected Intel CSME firmware. This may lead to unexpected system crashes, reboots, or loss of availability of critical services, particularly in environments where Intel hardware is prevalent. Operational disruptions could affect data centers, enterprise servers, and endpoint devices, potentially impacting business continuity. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact could hinder security monitoring, management functions, or other critical operations dependent on the CSME. Sectors such as finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and government agencies that rely heavily on Intel-based infrastructure could experience service interruptions. The lack of required authentication and user interaction increases the risk, especially in environments where adjacent access is possible, such as internal networks or shared hosting environments. However, the medium severity and absence of known exploits reduce the immediate threat level, though organizations should remain vigilant.

1. Monitor Intel’s official security advisories and firmware update channels closely for patches addressing CVE-2024-21844 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Restrict network and physical access to systems with vulnerable Intel CSME firmware to limit the possibility of adjacent access exploitation. 3. Implement network segmentation to isolate critical systems and reduce the attack surface for adjacent access vectors. 4. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying unusual system crashes or firmware anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Conduct regular firmware inventory and validation to identify devices running affected CSME versions. 6. Coordinate with hardware vendors and managed service providers to ensure timely deployment of firmware updates. 7. Develop incident response plans that include scenarios involving firmware-level denial of service to minimize operational impact. 8. Consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling non-essential services or interfaces that could facilitate adjacent access until patches are applied.