CVE-2019-14598
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 · uneditedImproper Authentication in subsystem in Intel(R) CSME versions 12.0 through 12.0.48 (IOT only: 12.0.56), versions 13.0 through 13.0.20, versions 14.0 through 14.0.10 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege, denial of service or information disclosure 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 confidenceImproper authentication vulnerability in Intel CSME subsystem allows a privileged local user to potentially escalate privileges, cause denial of service, or obtain information disclosure. CSME is a firmware-level component that runs on Intel processors, and this flaw allows bypass of authentication controls in an unspecified subsystem.
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, < 12.0.48>= 12.0, < 12.0.56>= 13.0, < 13.0.20>= 14.0, < 14.0.10all versionsCVSS 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:3.1/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.
-
Identify Intel CSME firmware versionUse Intel CSME System Tools or check the BIOS/UEFI setup under 'Security' or 'Intel Management Engine' settings. The firmware version is typically displayed as a numeric version (e.g., 12.0.45).Affected if The installed CSME firmware version falls within these ranges: 12.0.x before 12.0.48 or 12.0.56, 13.0.x before 13.0.20, or 14.0.x before 14.0.10.
-
Check Netapp Steelstore versionLog into the Steelstore management interface or run the Steelstore CLI command to retrieve the installed software version (e.g., 'show version' or similar).Affected if Any version of Netapp Steelstore Cloud Integrated Storage is installed, as the advisory lists all versions as affected.
-
Verify CSME subsystem is enabledIn BIOS/UEFI settings, confirm that Intel Management Engine (ME) or Intel CSME is enabled. This is typically found under 'Security' > 'Intel Management Engine' or 'Intel ME'. The vulnerability only applies when the subsystem is active.Affected if Intel CSME/ME firmware is enabled and running on the system.
-
Confirm local privileged access existsReview user accounts with administrative or root privileges on the system. The vulnerability requires a 'privileged local user' to exploit.Affected if There are local users with administrative or elevated privileges on the affected system.
You are affected if Intel CSME firmware version is 12.0.x before 12.0.48/12.0.56, 13.0.x before 13.0.20, or 14.0.x before 14.0.10, OR if Netapp Steelstore Cloud Integrated Storage of any version is installed, and the CSME subsystem is enabled.
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 data12.0.4812.0.5613.0.20
Apply Intel-provided firmware updates for CSME versions 12.0, 13.0, and 14.0 to the latest patched versions. Identify affected systems and verify firmware versions.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-14598 — 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-2019-14598 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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