CVE-2020-0563
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 permissions in the installer for Intel(R) MPSS before version 3.8.6 may allow an authenticated 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 · high confidenceImproper file or directory permissions in the Intel(R) MPSS (Maximum Performance State) installer before version 3.8.6 allow an authenticated local user to manipulate installer-managed files or directories, potentially achieving privilege escalation through locally exploitable permission weaknesses.
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< 3.8.6CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Intel MPSS is installedLook for Intel Manycore Platform Software Stack in system-installed programs. On Windows, check Program Files/Program Files (x86) for Intel folder, or use 'Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product' to list installed software. On Linux, check /opt/intel or use rpm/dpkg queries.Affected if Intel MPSS is found installed on the system
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Identify the installed MPSS versionLocate the MPSS installation directory (commonly under C:\Program Files\Intel\MPSS on Windows or /opt/intel/mpss on Linux). Look for version information in installer logs, a version file, or the executable's properties. Run 'intel_mpss_version' or similar if available.Affected if The installed version is lower than 3.8.6 or cannot be determined and MPSS is present
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Examine permissions on MPSS installation directoriesInspect file and folder permissions within the MPSS installation path. On Windows, right-click the folder > Properties > Security. On Linux, run 'ls -la' on the MPSS directory to view owner, group, and permission bits.Affected if Standard users (non-admin/root) have write permissions to installer-managed directories or files within the MPSS installation folder
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Check for installer-managed files in writable locationsReview MPSS installer configuration or log files to identify which directories and files it manages. Verify if any are placed in world-writable locations or have weak permissions allowing modification by low-privilege users.Affected if Any MPSS-managed file or directory is writable by authenticated local users who should not have write access
The system is affected if Intel MPSS version is below 3.8.6 AND standard user accounts can modify files or directories within the MPSS installation scope.
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 data3.8.6
Update Intel(R) MPSS to version 3.8.6 or later to obtain the patched installer with corrected permissions; if the software is unnecessary, remove it entirely to eliminate the attack surface.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-0563 — 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-2020-0563 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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