CVE-2024-36292 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Intel(R) Data Center GPU Flex Series for Windows driver versions prior to 31.0.101.4314. The root cause of this vulnerability is improper buffer restrictions within the driver, which can be exploited by an authenticated local user to trigger a denial of service (DoS) condition. Specifically, the flaw allows a user with limited privileges (local authenticated user) to cause the driver to malfunction, potentially leading to system instability or crashes. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication and has a low attack complexity, meaning exploitation is relatively straightforward once local access is obtained. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.2 reflects the significant impact on availability, with limited impact on confidentiality and integrity. The scope is limited to the local system since the attack vector is local access, and the vulnerability requires privileges but no elevated authentication or user interaction. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for environments utilizing Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series hardware on Windows platforms, commonly deployed in data centers for GPU-accelerated workloads. Since the flaw resides in the driver, exploitation could disrupt critical GPU-accelerated services, affecting workload availability and potentially causing downtime in data center operations. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the presence of a public CVE and high severity score indicates a need for prompt mitigation.

For European organizations, especially those operating data centers or cloud services leveraging Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series hardware on Windows, this vulnerability poses a risk of service disruption. Denial of service attacks could interrupt GPU-accelerated applications such as AI workloads, high-performance computing, and virtualization services, leading to operational downtime and potential financial losses. Organizations in sectors like finance, research, telecommunications, and public services that rely on GPU acceleration may experience degraded service availability. Furthermore, the requirement for local authenticated access limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate insider threats or risks from compromised internal accounts. The impact on confidentiality and integrity is minimal; however, availability degradation in critical infrastructure can have cascading effects on dependent services and SLAs. Given the increasing adoption of GPU-accelerated computing in European data centers, this vulnerability could affect a broad range of enterprises and public institutions.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize updating the Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series for Windows driver to version 31.0.101.4314 or later, where the buffer restriction issue is resolved. Since no patch links are provided in the source, organizations should monitor Intel's official channels for the release of the fixed driver version. In the interim, organizations should restrict local access to systems running the affected driver by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring for unauthorized local logins. Implementing robust endpoint security solutions that detect anomalous driver behavior or system crashes can help identify exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should audit and minimize the number of users with local authenticated access to these systems, applying the principle of least privilege. Regular system and driver integrity checks, combined with comprehensive logging and alerting on GPU driver failures, will aid in early detection of exploitation attempts. Finally, integrating this vulnerability into vulnerability management and patching workflows ensures timely remediation once patches are available.