CVE-2020-8721
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 input validation for some Intel(R) Server Boards, Server Systems and Compute Modules before version 1.59 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 confidenceThis is an improper input validation vulnerability in Intel server firmware affecting Server Boards, Server Systems, and Compute Modules before version 1.59. A privileged local user can exploit this validation flaw to escalate their privileges further on the affected system.
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< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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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Identify the Intel server product modelCheck the server hardware label, BIOS boot screen, or BMC web interface for the exact product name (e.g., S2600wt, R1000wt, R2000wt, S2600cw, Hns2600kp, S2600kp, Hns2600tp, S2600tp).Affected if The product model matches one of the eight affected products listed in the CVE.
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Access the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)Connect to the BMC/IPMI interface via web browser or IPMItool (ipmitool -I lanplus -H <BMC-IP> -U <user> -P <pass> chassis status). Locate the firmware version information under the Firmware Update or System Information section.Affected if BMC access is available and firmware version can be retrieved.
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Retrieve the current firmware versionIn the BMC interface, record the firmware version number displayed for the main system firmware/BIOS. Alternatively, run: ipmitool -I lanplus -H <BMC-IP> -U <user> -P <pass> raw command or check via Intel System Management Software.Affected if A firmware version number is displayed (for example, 1.42, 1.50, or 1.59).
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Compare firmware version to the vulnerable thresholdCompare the retrieved firmware version against version 1.59. Versions below 1.59 (such as 1.42, 1.50, 1.56, 1.58) are affected; version 1.59 and later are not.Affected if The installed firmware version is numerically less than 1.59.
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Verify local privileged access existsConfirm whether untrusted privileged local user accounts exist on the system, as the vulnerability requires a privileged local user to perform privilege escalation.Affected if Privileged local user accounts are present on the system and the firmware version is below 1.59.
A system is affected if it uses one of the eight listed Intel server products with firmware version below 1.59 and has local privileged user accounts present.
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 data1.59
Update Intel Server Boards, Server Systems, and Compute Modules to firmware version 1.59 or later to remediate this vulnerability.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-8721 — 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-2020-8721 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
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