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Ready Mode TechnologyApplication · Intel

CVE-2018-3698

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-11-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Improper file permissions in the installer for the Intel Ready Mode Technology may allow an unprivileged user to potentially gain privileged access 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

Improper file permissions in the Intel Ready Mode Technology installer create a local privilege escalation vector. The installer sets overly permissive file permissions (likely world-writable or weak ACLs) on executables, configuration, or data files that subsequently run with elevated privileges, allowing an unprivileged local user to modify these files and gain privileged access.

MitigationVerify if Intel Ready Mode Technology is installed; apply vendor patches when available or remove the software if unnecessary. Alternatively, audit and correct file permissions on the installation directory to remove excessive access.

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
Ready Mode TechnologyApplication
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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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. Check if Intel Ready Mode Technology is installed
    On Windows, open Programs and Features (or run 'appwiz.cpl') and look for 'Intel Ready Mode Technology' in the list of installed programs. Alternatively, check the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for an entry named Intel Ready Mode Technology.
    Affected if The software appears in the installed programs list or registry.
  2. Locate the installation directory
    If installed, find the installation path by checking the InstallLocation value in the registry key under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{IntelReadyModeTechnology} or by right-clicking the entry in Programs and Features and selecting Properties to view the installation location.
    Affected if An installation directory path is found.
  3. List file permissions on executable files
    In the installation directory, right-click on executable files (such as .exe files) and go to Properties > Security. Click on Advanced to view the ACL (Access Control List). Check if users without administrative privileges have Write or Full Control permissions.
    Affected if Non-admin users are granted Write or Full Control permissions on executables.
  4. List file permissions on configuration or data files
    In the installation directory, examine configuration files (.ini, .xml, .conf, .dat) and data files for overly permissive access. Use icacls from an elevated command prompt: 'icacls "C:\Path\To\Installation\*"' to view all ACLs.
    Affected if Configuration or data files are world-writable or readable/writable by non-admin users.

If Intel Ready Mode Technology is installed AND any executable, configuration, or data files in its installation directory grant Write or Full Control permissions to non-administrative users, the environment is vulnerable to local privilege escalation.

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

Verify if Intel Ready Mode Technology is installed; apply vendor patches when available or remove the software if unnecessary. Alternatively, audit and correct file permissions on the installation directory to remove excessive access.

Fix this in Ready Mode Technology Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
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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-2018-3698 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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