dbcve.org
Converged Security And Manageability EngineApplication · Intel

CVE-2020-8703

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-06-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.8.86 / 11.12.86 or later.
See remediation →
69/100
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
Improper buffer restrictions in a subsystem in the Intel(R) CSME versions before 11.8.86, 11.12.86, 11.22.86, 12.0.81, 13.0.47, 13.30.17, 14.1.53, 14.5.32 and 15.0.22 may allow a privileged 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 confidence

This is an improper buffer restriction vulnerability in the Intel CSME (Converged Security and Management Engine) firmware subsystem. A privileged local user could potentially exploit insufficient buffer bounds checking to escalate privileges to a higher level. The vulnerability requires local access but no authentication bypass since the attacker already has privileged access to the system.

MitigationUpdate Intel CSME firmware to version 11.8.86, 11.12.86, 11.22.86, 12.0.81, 13.0.47, 13.30.17, 14.1.53, 14.5.32, or 15.0.22 or later. Intel provides firmware updates through their Intel Driver & Support Assistant or via OEM-specific channels. Organizations should test updates in controlled environments, especially for systems relying on Intel vPro/AMT for remote management.

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 And Manageability EngineApplication
Affected:< 12.0.81< 13.0.47< 13.30.17< 14.1.53< 14.5.32< 11.8.86< 11.12.86< 11.22.86< 15.0.22
Cloud BackupApplication
Affected:all versions
Simatic Field Pg M6 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simatic Field Pg M5 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simatic Ipc427e FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simatic Ipc477e FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simatic Ipc477e Pro FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simatic Ipc527g FirmwareOperating system
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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Intel CSME firmware version
    On Windows, open Command Prompt and run: wmic /namespace:\\root\wmi path baseboard get manufacturer, product, version, serialnumber. Or use Intel System Support Utility. On Linux, check /sys/class/mei/*/fw_version or run 'dmesg | grep mei' to find ME version. Alternatively, access BIOS/UEFI setup and look under 'Security' or 'Intel Management Engine' for the firmware version.
    Affected if The displayed CSME version is less than any of: 11.8.86, 11.12.86, 11.22.86, 12.0.81, 13.0.47, 13.30.17, 14.1.53, 14.5.32, or 15.0.22.
  2. Confirm local privileged access requirement
    Verify that the system is configured with Intel Management Engine (ME), Intel Converged Security and Management Engine (CSME), or Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) enabled. Check via BIOS/UEFI settings under 'Intel AMT' or 'Management Engine' settings, or on Windows open Services and confirm 'Intel(R) Management and Security Application' is running.
    Affected if Intel ME/CSME/AMT is enabled and the version is vulnerable per step 1.
  3. Check Netapp Cloud Backup installation
    On the system running Netapp Cloud Backup, open the application and navigate to Settings or About to view the installed version. Alternatively, check installed programs list or use: on Windows 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell; on Linux check the package manager for cloudbackup or netapp-backup packages.
    Affected if Netapp Cloud Backup is installed (any version, as all versions are affected per the advisory).
  4. Identify Siemens device firmware versions
    For Simatic Field Pg M5/M6, Simatic Ipc427e, Ipc477e, Ipc477e Pro, or Ipc527g, access the device's web interface or management console and navigate to the firmware or system information section. Alternatively, connect to the device via TFTP or use the Siemens TIA Portal or specific device management tools to query the firmware version.
    Affected if The device is any of the listed Siemens models (all versions are affected).

You are affected if you have Intel CSME firmware version below the safe thresholds (11.8.86/11.12.86/11.22.86/12.0.81/13.0.47/13.30.17/14.1.53/14.5.32/15.0.22) with ME/CSME/AMT enabled, or if you run Netapp Cloud Backup or any of the listed Siemens devices.

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 11.8.86 / 11.12.86 / 11.22.86 or later
Fixed in 11.8.8611.12.8611.22.86
Interim mitigation

Update Intel CSME firmware to version 11.8.86, 11.12.86, 11.22.86, 12.0.81, 13.0.47, 13.30.17, 14.1.53, 14.5.32, or 15.0.22 or later. Intel provides firmware updates through their Intel Driver & Support Assistant or via OEM-specific channels. Organizations should test updates in controlled environments, especially for systems relying on Intel vPro/AMT for remote management.

Fix this in Converged Security And Manageability Engine Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-8703 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2020-8703 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data