CVE-2018-12196
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 a privileged user to potentially execute arbitrary code via local 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) AMT within Intel CSME allows a privileged user with local access to potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability stems from missing validation of user-supplied input in the AMT component before processing.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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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Locate Intel CSME firmware versionAccess the BIOS/UEFI setup on the target system and navigate to the Advanced or Security section to find the Intel Management Engine (ME) or CSME firmware version. Alternatively, on Windows, run the Intel MEInfo diagnostic tool (meinfo.exe) or Intel Management Engine Interface driver in Device Manager under 'System devices'.Affected if The reported firmware version falls within any of these ranges: 11.0 to 11.8.59, 11.10 to 11.11.59, 11.20 to 11.22.59, or 12.0.0 to 12.0.19.
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Confirm AMT is provisioned and enabledIn the BIOS/UEFI setup, verify that Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) is enabled under the Intel AMT or Management Engine configuration. On Windows, use the Intel Management Engine Interface or AMT configuration utilities (amttool, meshcmd) to query the AMT status. Look for AMT state showing 'Enabled' and 'Provisioned'.Affected if AMT is listed as enabled and provisioned in the BIOS or Intel configuration tools, making the AMT component active and exposed to the vulnerability.
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Verify CSME mode is not in firmware-only modeCheck the Intel MEInfo output or BIOS settings to confirm whether CSME is running in a mode that exposes AMT. If the system is using 'Full Corporate' or 'Small Business' AMT mode, the vulnerability applies. If AMT is disabled or in a limited mode, the attack surface may be reduced.Affected if The CSME is configured to run with AMT functionality exposed (not in a disabled or firmware-only state), indicating the vulnerable component is active.
You are affected if your Intel CSME firmware version is less than 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60, or 12.0.20 AND Intel AMT is enabled and provisioned on your 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
Apply the Intel CSME firmware update to version 11.8.60, 11.11.60, 11.22.60, or 12.0.20 or later to remediate the input validation flaw. This is a local-only attack requiring privileged access.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-12196 — 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-2018-12196 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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