CVE-2019-0170
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow in subsystem in Intel(R) DAL before version 12.0.35 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege 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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in Intel(R) Direct Access Loader (DAL) subsystem affecting versions prior to 12.0.35. A privileged user with local access could potentially exploit this buffer overflow to achieve privilege escalation, as DAL runs in a privileged execution environment.
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< 12.0.35CVSS 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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Verify Intel DAL is installedCheck system for presence of Intel Direct Access Loader (DAL) component. On Windows, look in Programs and Features for 'Intel DAL' or check Device Manager under System devices. On Linux, check for DAL-related packages or modules.Affected if Intel DAL is present on the system
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Identify Intel DAL versionUse Intel's version detection tools or check system firmware/UEFI information. The DAL version is typically reported in Intel Management Engine (ME) firmware or through Intel System Tools. Check system information utilities that report Intel component versions.Affected if DAL version is found to be below 12.0.35
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Check Intel CSME firmware versionIntel DAL is part of the Converged Security Management Engine. Use Intel's CSME Version Detection Tool, or read from system firmware via tools like 'meinfo' or platform-specific utilities that query the Intel Management Engine firmware version.Affected if CSME firmware version is below 12.0.35 (indicating vulnerable DAL component)
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Confirm DAL subsystem is activeVerify that DAL is enabled and running. DAL operates within the Intel Management Engine as a privileged subsystem. Check if DAL daemon or service is running, or inspect UEFI/BIOS settings for DAL enablement status.Affected if DAL is enabled and running in the privileged execution environment
A system is affected if Intel Direct Access Loader is installed and its version (or the underlying CSME firmware version) is lower than 12.0.35, with DAL actively running in the privileged execution environment.
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 data12.0.35
Update Intel(R) DAL to version 12.0.35 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Apply via Intel's standard firmware/software distribution channels for the affected platform.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-0170 — 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-2019-0170 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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