CVE-2018-12185
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedInsufficient input validation in Intel(R) AMT in Intel(R) CSME before version 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60 or 12.0.20 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially execute arbitrary code via physical access.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceInsufficient input validation in Intel(R) CSME (Converged Security and Manageability Engine) Active Management Technology (AMT) allows an unauthenticated user with physical access to potentially execute arbitrary code via specially crafted input. This is a firmware-level vulnerability in the CSME subsystem that handles out-of-band management.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 11.0, < 11.8.60>= 11.10, < 11.11.60>= 11.20, < 11.22.60>= 12.0.0, < 12.0.20CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Intel CSME/AMT is presentCheck system BIOS/UEFI for Intel Management Engine or AMT settings, or use system information tools (like 'meinfo' or 'Intel ME Info Tool') to query the CSME subsystemAffected if CSME/AMT is not present on the system (not affected)
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Identify CSME firmware versionRun the Intel Management Engine Info Tool (meinfo, mectool, or Intel ME Analyzer) or check via the Intel MEI driver in Windows Device Manager under 'System devices' > 'Intel(R) Management Engine Interface' to retrieve the firmware versionAffected if Unable to retrieve version (CSME may be disabled or inaccessible)
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Compare against affected version rangesCompare the installed CSME firmware version to these ranges: 11.0 <= version < 11.8.60, 11.10 <= version < 11.11.60, 11.20 <= version < 11.22.60, or 12.0.0 <= version < 12.0.20Affected if Installed version falls within any of the affected ranges listed above
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Confirm AMT is enabledIn BIOS/UEFI settings, verify if Active Management Technology (AMT) or Intel CSME is enabled. Also check if 'Remote Management' or 'Out-of-Band Management' is active in the OSAffected if AMT/CSME is disabled in BIOS (the vulnerability cannot be exploited if the subsystem is not active)
System is affected only if Intel CSME/AMT is present, enabled, and the firmware version falls within the affected version ranges, combined with the prerequisite of having physical access to the system.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data11.8.6011.11.6011.22.60
Update Intel CSME firmware to version 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60, 12.0.20 or later to remediate the insufficient input validation vulnerability. Given the physical access requirement, prioritize updating systems in accessible locations first.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-12185 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-12185 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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