CVE-2020-8729
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 · uneditedBuffer copy without checking size of input for some Intel(R) Server Boards, Server Systems and Compute Modules before version 1.59 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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Intel Server Boards, Server Systems, and Compute Modules prior to version 1.59. The flaw involves copying data into a buffer without validating the input size, allowing an authenticated local attacker to potentially escalate privileges.
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
- 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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Identify the exact Intel server modelLocate the product model number printed on the server board chassis or check the system inventory via IPMI or BMC web interface. Confirm the model matches one of: S2600wt, R1000wt, R2000wt, S2600cw, Hns2600kp, S2600kp, Hns2600tp, or S2600tp.Affected if The model is not one of the eight listed affected products, then this CVE does not apply.
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Retrieve the current firmware versionUse IPMI command 'ipmitool fru print 0' or access the BMC/UEFI interface to read the firmware version for the baseboard management controller or system BIOS. Record the firmware version number.Affected if Unable to retrieve firmware version - cannot determine vulnerability status.
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Compare firmware version against the vulnerable thresholdCompare the installed firmware version number to 1.59. The affected versions are any build less than 1.59.Affected if Installed firmware version is less than 1.59 - the system is vulnerable to the buffer overflow.
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Confirm the component type matches firmware targetVerify that the firmware version retrieved corresponds to the correct component (baseboard firmware for server boards, system firmware for compute modules).Affected if Firmware version belongs to an unaffected component or subsystem.
A system is affected if it is an Intel Server Board S2600wt, Server System R1000wt/R2000wt, Server Board S2600cw, or Compute Module Hns2600kp/S2600kp/Hns2600tp/S2600tp with firmware version prior to 1.59.
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
Apply Intel firmware update version 1.59 or later to affected Intel Server Boards, Server Systems, and Compute Modules. Verify the update through Intel's support portal using specific model numbers.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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 locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-8729 — 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-2020-8729 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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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.
- 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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