CVE-2024-24981 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the UEFI firmware in certain Intel Server M50FCP Family products. The root cause is improper input validation within the PfrSmiUpdateFw driver component of the UEFI firmware. This flaw allows a privileged local user—someone who already has elevated permissions on the system—to escalate their privileges further. Specifically, the vulnerability enables the attacker to gain higher-level control over the system firmware, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected server. The vulnerability is exploitable only with local access and requires the attacker to have high privileges initially, but no user interaction is needed once local access is obtained. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, combined with the requirement for high privileges and local access. The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that exploitation can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's presence in firmware—a critical layer below the operating system—makes it particularly sensitive. Firmware compromise can lead to persistent and stealthy attacks that survive OS reinstallation or disk replacement. Intel Server M50FCP Family products are typically deployed in enterprise and data center environments, meaning that affected systems are likely to be critical infrastructure components. The lack of publicly available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for organizations to monitor vendor advisories and prepare for remediation once patches are released.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for data centers, cloud service providers, and enterprises relying on Intel Server M50FCP hardware. Successful exploitation could allow attackers with existing privileged access to gain firmware-level control, enabling persistent backdoors, firmware manipulation, or disabling security features. This could lead to data breaches, service disruptions, or sabotage of critical infrastructure. Given the firmware layer's deep integration, recovery from such an attack is complex and costly. The impact extends beyond individual servers to potentially compromise entire server fleets or cloud environments. Organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, government, and critical infrastructure in Europe could face severe operational and reputational damage. Additionally, the requirement for local privileged access somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate insider threats or attacks leveraging initial footholds obtained via other means. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts make this vulnerability a priority for European organizations with affected hardware.

1. Immediate inventory and identification of Intel Server M50FCP Family hardware within the organization to assess exposure. 2. Restrict and monitor privileged local access strictly to minimize risk of insider threats or lateral movement by attackers. 3. Implement robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous firmware-level activities. 4. Apply principle of least privilege to limit the number of users with high-level access on affected systems. 5. Monitor Intel’s security advisories closely for official patches or firmware updates addressing CVE-2024-24981 and plan timely deployment. 6. Consider firmware integrity verification tools and secure boot mechanisms to detect unauthorized firmware modifications. 7. For critical systems, evaluate hardware replacement or isolation strategies if patches are delayed. 8. Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on firmware and privileged access controls. 9. Enhance logging and alerting for firmware update processes and privileged operations on servers. 10. Educate system administrators and security teams about the risks of firmware vulnerabilities and the importance of secure handling of privileged accounts.