dbcve.org
Platform Sample FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2018-12203

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-03-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Denial of service vulnerability in Platform Sample/ Silicon Reference firmware for 8th Generation Intel Core Processor, 7th Generation Intel Core Processor may allow 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 · moderate confidence

This is a firmware vulnerability in Intel's Platform Sample and Silicon Reference firmware for 7th and 8th Generation Core processors. A privileged local user can potentially exploit this to cause denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability resides in the firmware layer rather than software, making it a serious security concern for affected systems.

MitigationApply Intel firmware updates provided for affected processor generations. Since this affects reference firmware used by system integrators, contact the original equipment manufacturer for specific firmware patches. Restrict physical and local access to affected systems to minimize attack surface.

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
Platform Sample FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Silicon Reference FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify your processor generation
    Use system information tools (such as 'msinfo32' on Windows or 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on Linux) to determine if the CPU is an Intel 7th Generation (Kaby Lake) or 8th Generation (Coffee Lake) Core processor.
    Affected if The system uses an Intel 7th or 8th Generation Core processor and the firmware is based on Intel reference firmware.
  2. Determine the firmware vendor and version
    Access the system BIOS/UEFI setup (typically press Del, F2, or F12 during boot) or use firmware detection tools like 'dmidecode' on Linux or 'wmic bios' on Windows to retrieve the BIOS vendor and version information.
    Affected if The BIOS firmware is labeled as Intel Platform Sample Firmware, Intel Silicon Reference Firmware, or shows Intel as the firmware vendor with no specific OEM branding.
  3. Check for OEM-specific firmware
    Identify the system manufacturer (OEM) by checking the system information or BIOS. Intel reference firmware is typically used by smaller system integrators rather than major OEMs like Dell, HP, or Lenovo.
    Affected if The system is from a smaller integrator or the firmware shows no clear OEM branding, indicating potential use of Intel reference firmware.
  4. Verify firmware version against Intel advisories
    Cross-reference the detected firmware version string with Intel's security advisory (INTEL-SA-00114) for CVE-2018-12203 on the Intel website or security bulletin.
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be confirmed as patched or the system uses unpatched Intel reference firmware.

A system is affected if it uses Intel 7th or 8th Generation Core processors with Intel Platform Sample or Silicon Reference firmware that has not been updated with Intel's firmware patches.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Intel firmware updates provided for affected processor generations. Since this affects reference firmware used by system integrators, contact the original equipment manufacturer for specific firmware patches. Restrict physical and local access to affected systems to minimize attack surface.

Fix this in Platform Sample 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
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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-2018-12203 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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