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Amt Ac 8260 FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2021-0162

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.8.90 / 12.0.85 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges 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 input validation in software for Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi and Killer(TM) Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via adjacent 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 confidence

Improper input validation in Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi and Killer Wi-Fi drivers for Windows 10 and 11 allows an unauthenticated attacker with adjacent network access to potentially escalate privileges. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of input data in the Wi-Fi software stack, likely during driver communication or firmware interaction.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches for Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi or Killer Wi-Fi drivers. Prioritize systems with elevated privileges or network exposure. Verify the installed Wi-Fi driver version matches the patched release.

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
Amt Ac 8260 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 11.8.90
Amt Ac 8265 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 11.8.90
Amt Ac 9260 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 12.0.85
Amt Ac 9560 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 12.0.85
Amt Wi Fi 6 Ax200 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 12.0.85>= 14.0.0, < 14.1.60>= 15.0.0, < 15.0.35
Amt Wi Fi 6 Ax201 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 14.0.0, < 14.1.60>= 15.0.0, < 15.0.35
Amt Wi Fi 6 Ax210 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 15.0.35
Proset Ac 3165 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 22.60

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed Intel Wi-Fi adapter model
    Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, look for Intel wireless adapters (e.g., Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260, etc.) and note the exact model name
    Affected if The adapter model matches any of: AC 8260, AC 8265, AC 9260, AC 9560, Wi-Fi 6 AX200, Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Wi-Fi 6 AX210, or Proset AC 3165
  2. Check Intel wireless firmware version
    In Device Manager, right-click the Intel wireless adapter, select Properties, go to the Details tab, and select Firmware version from the Property dropdown. Alternatively, open Intel PROSet/Wireless software and check the adapter firmware version in the adapter settings or diagnostics
    Affected if The displayed firmware version is lower than the fixed versions for your specific adapter model (11.8.90 for 8260/8265, 12.0.85 for 9260/9560/AX200, 14.1.60 for AX200/AX201 if between 14.0.0-14.x, 15.0.35 for AX200/AX201/AX210 if 15.x, or 22.60 for AC 3165)
  3. Verify Intel PROSet/Wireless driver version
    Open Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) and look for Intel PROSet/Wireless software, or right-click the wireless adapter in Device Manager, select Properties, and check the Driver tab for the driver version
    Affected if The driver version is older than the patched release, as the vulnerability exists in the driver software stack
  4. Confirm adjacent network exposure
    Review system configuration to determine if Wi-Fi is enabled and the system connects to networks where untrusted adjacent attackers could be present (e.g., public Wi-Fi, corporate networks with guest access)
    Affected if Wi-Fi is active and the system operates in an environment where unauthenticated adjacent network attackers could reach the wireless interface

The system is affected if it has any of the listed Intel wireless adapters (8260, 8265, 9260, 9560, AX200, AX201, AX210, AC 3165) with firmware versions below the fixed releases AND Wi-Fi is enabled and accessible to adjacent attackers.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 11.8.90 / 12.0.85 / 14.1.60 or later
Fixed in 11.8.9012.0.8514.1.60
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches for Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi or Killer Wi-Fi drivers. Prioritize systems with elevated privileges or network exposure. Verify the installed Wi-Fi driver version matches the patched release.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi driver/firmware version meeting or exceeding: 11.8.90 (AC 8260/8265), 12.0.85 (AC 9260/9560, AX200 pre-14.x), 14.1.60 (AX200/AX201 14.x series), 15.0.35 (AX200/AX201 15.x series, AX210), or 22.60 (Proset AC 3165)

  1. 1. Identify the exact wireless adapter model in the system (e.g., AX200, AX201, AX210, etc.) using Device Manager or Intel Driver & Support Assistant.
  2. 2. Visit the Intel Support website and locate the driver/firmware download page for the specific adapter model.
  3. 3. Download and install the latest Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi driver and firmware package that meets or exceeds the fixed version for your adapter: For AC 8260/8265: 11.8.90 or later; For AC 9260/9560: 12.0.85 or later; For Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (pre-14.x): 12.0.85 or later; For Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (14.x series): 14.1.60 or later; For Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (15.x series): 15.0.35 or later; For Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (14.x or 15
  4. 4. Restart the system after driver/firmware installation to ensure the new firmware is properly loaded.
Caveat Firmware updates may temporarily interrupt wireless connectivity; ensure wired ethernet or backup connectivity is available during update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Amt Ac 8260 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2021-0162 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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