CVE-2018-3659
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in Intel PTT module in Intel CSME firmware before version 12.0.5 and Intel TXE firmware before version 4.0 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially disclose information 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 confidenceA vulnerability in the Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) module in Intel CSME firmware before version 12.0.5 and Intel TXE firmware before version 4.0 allows an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to potentially disclose sensitive information.
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< 12.0.5< 4.0CVSS 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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Confirm Intel PTT is enabled in BIOS/UEFIAccess the system BIOS/UEFI setup (typically press Del, F2, or F12 at boot) and navigate to Security or PTT configuration. Look for 'Intel Platform Trust Technology', 'PTT', or 'Intel TXT' settings. Verify whether it is set to Enabled.Affected if PTT is enabled in BIOS - this is the vulnerable configuration; if PTT is disabled, the attack surface is reduced but firmware should still be updated.
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Identify Intel CSME firmware versionOn Windows, use the Intel CSME Version Detection Tool (available from Intel or system vendor). On Linux, run 'cat /sys/class/mei/mei0/fw_version' or use 'mecreg' tool if available. Alternatively, check BIOS setup under 'Platform Trust Technology' or 'Security' for firmware version display.Affected if The displayed version is below 12.0.5 (for example, 12.0.0, 11.x.x, or 10.x.x).
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Identify Intel TXE firmware version (if applicable)On systems with Intel Trusted Execution Engine (typically older mobile or embedded platforms), check using Intel TXE detection tools, or via BIOS information. On Linux, check 'cat /sys/class/mei/txe0/fw_version' if the TXE device exists.Affected if The system uses Intel TXE firmware and the version is below 4.0.
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Cross-reference firmware versions with affected rangesDocument the exact firmware versions found. Compare against: CSME < 12.0.5 and TXE < 4.0. Note that CSME version format is typically three numbers (e.g., 12.0.4).Affected if Either CSME version is less than 12.0.5 or TXE version is less than 4.0, indicating the firmware is vulnerable.
A system is affected if it has Intel PTT enabled and is running Intel CSME firmware before version 12.0.5 or Intel TXE firmware before version 4.0.
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 data4.012.0.5
Update Intel CSME firmware to version 12.0.5 or later and Intel TXE firmware to version 4.0 or later through vendor-provided BIOS/firmware updates.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-3659 — 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-2018-3659 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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