dbcve.org
Converged Security Management Engine FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2018-12192

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-03-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.8.60 / 11.11.60 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Logic bug in Kernel subsystem in Intel CSME before version 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60 or 12.0.20, or Intel(R) Server Platform Services before version SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially bypass MEBx authentication 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 confidence

A logic bug in the Intel CSME (Converged Security and Manageability Engine) kernel subsystem allows an unauthenticated user with physical access to bypass MEBx (Management Engine BIOS Extension) authentication. The vulnerability affects Intel CSME versions before 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60, or 12.0.20, and Intel Server Platform Services before SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0.

MitigationUpdate Intel CSME firmware to version 11.8.60/11.11.60/11.22.60/12.0.20 or later, or SPS to version SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0 or later, using Intel's firmware update tools or BIOS updates from the system vendor.

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
Converged Security Management Engine FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.8.60>= 11.10, < 11.11.60>= 11.20, < 11.22.60>= 12.0.0, < 12.0.20
Server Platform Services FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< sps_e5_04.00.04.393.0

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if Intel CSME is present
    Check system information via `dmidecode` or system BIOS for Intel Management Engine components. Look for Intel ME or Intel CSME in firmware/BIOS output.
    Affected if The system uses Intel CSME firmware and version falls within affected ranges (11.0-11.8.59, 11.10-11.11.59, 11.20-11.22.59, 12.0.0-12.0.19) or SPS firmware is below SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0
  2. Check Intel CSME firmware version
    Use Intel ME Info Tool (meinfo or Intel Management and Security Status utility) or access MEBx during boot to retrieve the CSME firmware version. Command example: `meinfo - verbose` or check via vendor-provided management tools.
    Affected if The reported CSME firmware version matches one of the vulnerable version ranges: >= 11.0 and < 11.8.60; >= 11.10 and < 11.11.60; >= 11.20 and < 11.22.60; >= 12.0.0 and < 12.0.20
  3. Check Intel SPS firmware version
    Use Intel Server Platform Services firmware tools or server management interfaces (BMC/IPMI) to query the SPS firmware version if the system uses SPS instead of consumer CSME.
    Affected if SPS firmware version is reported as lower than SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0
  4. Determine if MEBx is configured
    Access the MEBx configuration during boot (typically via Ctrl+P at startup) or check BIOS settings for Intel Management Engine options. Look for MEBx password configuration and enable status.
    Affected if MEBx is enabled and accessible, and the firmware version is within the vulnerable ranges listed above, allowing physical attackers to bypass MEBx authentication

The system is affected if it runs Intel CSME firmware versions 11.0-11.8.59, 11.10-11.11.59, 11.20-11.22.59, or 12.0.0-12.0.19, or SPS firmware below SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0, with MEBx accessible and enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 11.8.60 / 11.11.60 / 11.22.60 or later
Fixed in 11.8.6011.11.6011.22.60
Interim mitigation

Update Intel CSME firmware to version 11.8.60/11.11.60/11.22.60/12.0.20 or later, or SPS to version SPS_E5_04.00.04.393.0 or later, using Intel's firmware update tools or BIOS updates from the system vendor.

Fix this in Converged Security Management Engine Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-12192 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-12192 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data