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Amt Ac 8260 FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2021-0168

MEDIUM · 6.7 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 →
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 input validation in firmware for some Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi in multiple operating systems and some Killer(TM) Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11 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 vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi and Killer Wi-Fi firmware involves improper input validation that could allow a locally authenticated privileged user to escalate their privileges to a higher level. The attack requires local access and existing privileged credentials, making it a privilege escalation rather than initial access vector.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided firmware and driver updates for affected Intel PROSet/Wireless and Killer Wi-Fi adapters. Verify that the firmware version matches the patched release across all affected systems.

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
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 Wi-Fi adapter model
    Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, and look for Intel PROSet/Wireless, Killer Wi-Fi, or Intel Wi-Fi adapter entries. Note the exact model name (e.g., AX200, AX201, 8265, 9260, etc.).
    Affected if The system uses one of the affected adapters: 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 current Wi-Fi firmware version
    In Device Manager, right-click the Intel Wi-Fi adapter, select Properties, go to the Driver or Firmware tab. Alternatively, open Intel PROSet/Wireless utility and check adapter information. Record the firmware version number.
    Affected if The displayed firmware version is lower than the patched version for your specific adapter model.
  3. Compare against affected version ranges
    Match your adapter model and firmware version to the affected ranges: AC 8260/8265 need < 11.8.90; AC 9260/9560 need < 12.0.85; AX200 needs < 12.0.85 OR >= 14.0.0 and < 14.1.60 OR >= 15.0.0 and < 15.0.35; AX201 needs >= 14.0.0 and < 14.1.60 OR >= 15.0.0 and < 15.0.35; AX210 needs < 15.0.35; AC 3165 needs < 22.60
    Affected if Your installed firmware version falls within any of the vulnerable version ranges for your specific adapter.
  4. Verify privilege context
    Confirm whether the system allows local privileged users (administrators) to interact with Intel firmware tools or AMT features. Check if Intel Management Engine (ME) or PROSet utilities are accessible to non-admin users.
    Affected if Non-administrative users can access Intel firmware update tools or AMT interfaces, allowing the privilege escalation path to be exploited.

You are affected if your system has an Intel Wi-Fi adapter from the affected list and the installed firmware version falls within the vulnerable ranges, combined with local privileged user access.

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 the vendor-provided firmware and driver updates for affected Intel PROSet/Wireless and Killer Wi-Fi adapters. Verify that the firmware version matches the patched release across all affected systems.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi firmware: 11.8.90 or later for 8260/8265; 12.0.85 or later for 9260/9560; 15.0.35 or later for Ax200/Ax201/Ax210; 22.60 or later for 3165

  1. Identify the exact wireless adapter model using Device Manager (look under Network adapters for Intel(R) or Killer adapters)
  2. Visit Intel's support website (www.intel.com) and navigate to the download center/support page for your specific adapter model
  3. Download the latest firmware version for your adapter from Intel's official download page
  4. Follow Intel's firmware update instructions, which typically involve running the Intel PROSet/Wireless Software or using the firmware update utility
  5. Ensure the device has adequate battery power or is connected to AC power during the update process
  6. Restart the system after the firmware update completes
Caveat Firmware updates may require corresponding Intel PROSet/Wireless Software updates; some older systems may have limited support options

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
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2021-0168 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data