CVE-2020-0566
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 Access Control in subsystem for Intel(R) TXE versions before 3.175 and 4.0.25 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via physical 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 confidenceIntel TXE (Trusted Execution Engine) contains an improper access control vulnerability in a subsystem that allows an unauthenticated user with physical access to potentially escalate privileges. This affects firmware versions prior to 3.175 and 4.0.25.
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>= 3.0, <= 3.1.70>= 4.0, <= 4.0.20CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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 TXE firmware is present on the systemAccess the system BIOS/UEFI setup (typically press Del, F2, or F12 during boot) and look for Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) or Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) configuration options under Security or Advanced settings. Alternatively, use system information tools such as 'msinfo32' on Windows or 'dmidecode' on Linux to check for TXE presence.Affected if Intel TXE is present and listed in system firmware or BIOS settings
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Locate the Intel TXE firmware version numberIn the BIOS/UEFI menu under Security settings, find the Intel Trusted Execution Engine or Intel TXE version field. This is typically displayed as a build number (e.g., 3.1.50 or 4.0.15). On Windows, you can also use the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool or check Device Manager under System devices for the TXE driver and view driver details for version information.Affected if A TXE firmware version is displayed (for example, 3.1.50 or 4.0.15)
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Compare installed version against affected rangesIf the installed version is in the 3.x branch, verify it is greater than 3.1.70. Versions 3.0 through 3.1.70 are affected. If in the 4.x branch, verify it is greater than 4.0.20. Versions 4.0 through 4.0.20 are affected. Any version prior to 3.175 in the 3.x branch or prior to 4.0.25 in the 4.x branch is vulnerable.Affected if The installed TXE firmware version is 3.0 through 3.1.70, or 4.0 through 4.0.20 (these versions are affected)
You are affected if your Intel TXE firmware version falls within 3.0-3.1.70 or 4.0-4.0.20, meaning versions prior to 3.175 in the 3.x branch or prior to 4.0.25 in the 4.x branch.
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 dataUpdate Intel TXE firmware to version 3.175 or later for the 3.x branch, or 4.0.25 or later for the 4.x branch, through vendor-provided firmware update mechanisms.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-0566 — 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-2020-0566 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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