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Converged Security Management Engine FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2020-0539

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-06-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.1.75 / 4.0.25 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Path traversal in subsystem for Intel(R) DAL software for Intel(R) CSME versions before 11.8.77, 11.12.77, 11.22.77, 12.0.64, 13.0.32, 14.0.33 and Intel(R) TXE versions before 3.1.75, 4.0.25 may allow an unprivileged user to potentially enable denial of service 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 confidence

A path traversal vulnerability exists in the Intel Converged Security and Management Engine (CSME) and Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) DAL (Device Abstraction Layer) software subsystem. The flaw allows an unprivileged local attacker to manipulate file paths, potentially enabling denial of service. Affected versions include Intel CSME before 11.8.77, 11.12.77, 11.22.77, 12.0.64, 13.0.32, and 14.0.33, and Intel TXE before 3.1.75 and 4.0.25.

MitigationApply Intel firmware updates for CSME and TXE to versions 11.8.77/11.12.77/11.22.77/12.0.64/13.0.32/14.0.33 and 3.1.75/4.0.25 or later respectively. Since this is a firmware-level vulnerability, obtain the update through Intel's CSME/TXE firmware packages or via OEM-provided BIOS/firmware updates.

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
Converged Security Management Engine FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.8.77>= 11.10, < 11.12.77>= 11.20, < 11.22.77>= 12.0, < 12.0.64>= 13.0, < 13.0.32>= 14.0, < 14.0.33
Trusted Execution Engine FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 3.0, < 3.1.75>= 4.0, < 4.0.25

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 Intel CSME firmware version
    Use Intel's CSME Version Detection Tool, Intel ME Analyzer, or check via BIOS/UEFI setup (look for 'Intel ME' or 'Management Engine' firmware version under Advanced settings). On Windows, some systems show this in Device Manager under 'System devices' > 'Intel Management Engine Interface' or via `wmic bios get version` for limited info. OEM tools or Intel SA-00129 advisory tools may also expose this.
    Affected if The installed CSME firmware version is less than 11.8.77, 11.12.77, 11.22.77, 12.0.64, 13.0.32, or 14.0.33 (depending on the 11.x/12.x/13.x/14.x branch in use) and falls within the affected version ranges listed in the CVE.
  2. Check Intel TXE firmware version
    Access the same tools or BIOS/UEFI settings used for CSME detection, as TXE version is often reported alongside CSME in Intel management engine information. On affected systems, TXE firmware version is embedded in the same firmware blob. Use Intel ME Analyzer or OEM firmware detection utilities that report both CSME and TXE versions.
    Affected if The installed TXE firmware version is less than 3.1.75 or 4.0.25 (depending on whether it is a 3.x or 4.x branch) and falls within the affected version ranges.
  3. Confirm DAL subsystem is enabled
    The vulnerability exists in the DAL (Device Abstraction Layer) component of CSME/TXE. This is typically always present in standard CSME/TXE installations but can be verified through Intel's system tools or by confirming the Management Engine is active. Check via Intel Management Engine Interface driver status in Windows Device Manager or via `msinfo32' (look for 'Intel Management Engine' state).
    Affected if Intel Management Engine/TXE is present and active on the system (this is the default state on most consumer and enterprise Intel systems).

If either the CSME firmware version is below the fixed releases (11.8.77/11.12.77/11.22.77/12.0.64/13.0.32/14.0.33) or the TXE firmware version is below 3.1.75/4.0.25, and the Management Engine is enabled, the system is vulnerable to this path traversal flaw.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.1.75 / 4.0.25 / 11.8.77 or later
Fixed in 3.1.754.0.2511.8.77
Interim mitigation

Apply Intel firmware updates for CSME and TXE to versions 11.8.77/11.12.77/11.22.77/12.0.64/13.0.32/14.0.33 and 3.1.75/4.0.25 or later respectively. Since this is a firmware-level vulnerability, obtain the update through Intel's CSME/TXE firmware packages or via OEM-provided BIOS/firmware updates.

Fix this in Converged Security Management Engine Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2020-0539 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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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