Setup And Configuration Software Platform Discovery UtilityApplication · Intel

CVE-2019-14605

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-16
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 permissions in the installer for the Intel(R) SCS Platform Discovery Utility, all versions, may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local attack.

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

The Intel(R) SCS Platform Discovery Utility installer contains improper file system permissions that allow an authenticated local user to manipulate installed files or executables in a way that leads to privilege escalation. This is a local, authenticated attack vector requiring the attacker to have valid user credentials on the target system.

MitigationApply the latest vendor patch or upgrade to a fixed version of the Intel SCS Platform Discovery Utility. If no patch is available, restrict installer/executable access to administrator accounts only and review installed files for unauthorized modifications.

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
Setup And Configuration Software Platform Discovery UtilityApplication
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:3.1/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. Determine if Intel SCS Platform Discovery Utility is installed
    Check the system for installed Intel Setup and Configuration Software Platform Discovery Utility. On Windows, review installed programs in Programs and Features, or search for Intel SCS-related executables in typical installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Intel\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\
    Affected if The software is present on the system in any version - the vulnerability affects all versions
  2. Identify the installation directory and contents
    Locate the main installation folder for Intel SCS Platform Discovery Utility. Review all files and subdirectories within it, noting executable files (.exe, .dll) and configuration files
    Affected if The software is installed and its directory contains executable files that could be targeted for modification
  3. Verify file system permissions on the installation directory
    Examine the access control list (ACL) permissions on the Intel SCS installation directory and its contents. Use tools such as icacls (Windows) or examine share and NTFS permissions to determine what users or groups have write or modify access
    Affected if Authenticated standard (non-admin) users have write, modify, or full control permissions to the installation directory or its executable files
  4. Test whether standard users can modify executables
    Using a standard (non-privileged) user account, attempt to create, modify, or delete files within the Intel SCS installation directory, particularly executable files
    Affected if A standard authenticated user can successfully modify, replace, or delete executables in the installation directory
  5. Review for unexpected file modifications
    Compare the current files in the Intel SCS installation directory against known good baselines or check file timestamps and hashes for any unauthorized modifications to executables or DLLs
    Affected if Executables or DLLs have been modified by unauthorized users or contain unexpected changes indicating tampering

A user is affected if the Intel SCS Platform Discovery Utility is installed in any version AND standard authenticated users have write or modify access to the installation directory or its executable files, allowing potential privilege escalation through file manipulation.

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 the latest vendor patch or upgrade to a fixed version of the Intel SCS Platform Discovery Utility. If no patch is available, restrict installer/executable access to administrator accounts only and review installed files for unauthorized modifications.

Fix this in Setup And Configuration Software Platform Discovery Utility Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
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Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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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-2019-14605 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
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