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Amt Ac 8260 FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2021-0173

MEDIUM · 6.5 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 →
70/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Validation of Consistency within input 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 unauthenticated user to potentially enable denial of service 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

This is a firmware-level vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi adapters and certain Killer Wi-Fi adapters. The improper validation of consistency within input allows an unauthenticated attacker within wireless range to potentially cause a denial of service by exploiting the input validation flaw in the firmware.

MitigationApply vendor-provided firmware updates for affected Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi and Killer Wi-Fi adapters. Until patches are deployed, consider network segmentation to limit adjacent attack surface and monitor for unusual WiFi adapter behavior.

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 Wi-Fi adapter model
    Use system information tools (such as 'lspci' on Linux or Device Manager on Windows) to list installed wireless adapters. Look for Intel or Killer Wi-Fi adapters matching the following model names: AC 8260, AC 8265, AC 9260, AC 9560, Wi-Fi 6 AX200, Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Wi-Fi 6 AX210, or Proset AC 3165.
    Affected if The adapter model is one of the listed affected products (AC 8260, AC 8265, AC 9260, AC 9560, AX200, AX201, AX210, or AC 3165).
  2. Retrieve current firmware version
    Query the installed firmware version using the appropriate method for your system. On Windows, this can be done via Intel PROSet Wireless software under the driver/firmware information section, or via Device Manager by viewing the wireless adapter properties. On Linux, use 'iw list' or 'lspci -v' to retrieve firmware version details.
    Affected if A firmware version is successfully retrieved from the wireless adapter.
  3. Compare firmware version to affected ranges for Intel AMT AC models
    For adapters AC 8260, AC 8265, AC 9260, or AC 9560, compare the installed firmware version against the thresholds: AC 8260 and AC 8265 require version 11.8.90 or later; AC 9260 and AC 9560 require version 12.0.85 or later.
    Affected if The installed firmware version is lower than 11.8.90 (for AC 8260/8265) or lower than 12.0.85 (for AC 9260/9560).
  4. Compare firmware version to affected ranges for Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX models
    For adapters AX200, AX201, or AX210, compare against all affected version ranges: versions below 12.0.85, or versions 14.0.0 through 14.1.59, or versions 15.0.0 through 15.0.34 are affected. AX210 specifically is affected below version 15.0.35.
    Affected if The installed firmware version is less than 12.0.85, OR between 14.0.0 and 14.1.59 inclusive, OR between 15.0.0 and 15.0.34 inclusive (for AX200/AX201). For AX210, version below 15.0.35.
  5. Compare firmware version to affected ranges for Intel Proset AC 3165
    For adapter Proset AC 3165, compare the installed firmware version against version 22.60.
    Affected if The installed firmware version is lower than 22.60.
  6. Verify wireless interface is active
    Confirm that the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled and the wireless interface is active (using 'ip link show' on Linux or checking network adapter status on Windows). This confirms the attack surface is present since the vulnerability is exploitable by an unauthenticated attacker within wireless range.
    Affected if The wireless adapter is powered on and an active Wi-Fi connection exists or monitor mode is enabled.

Your environment is affected if you have an Intel or Killer Wi-Fi adapter matching one of the affected models and your current firmware version falls below the safe threshold specified for that model.

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-provided firmware updates for affected Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi and Killer Wi-Fi adapters. Until patches are deployed, consider network segmentation to limit adjacent attack surface and monitor for unusual WiFi adapter behavior.

Recommended fix High confidence

For Amt Ac 8260/8265: upgrade to firmware 11.8.90 or later | For Amt Ac 9260/9560: upgrade to firmware 12.0.85 or later | For Amt Wi-Fi 6 AX200: upgrade to 12.0.85, 14.1.60, or 15.0.35 (depending on firmware branch) | For Amt Wi-Fi 6 AX201: upgrade to 14.1.60 or 15.0.35 | For Amt Wi-Fi 6 AX210: upgr

  1. 1. Identify the specific Intel wireless adapter model in the system using device manager or system information
  2. 2. Note the current firmware version installed
  3. 3. Download the latest Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi driver and firmware package from Intel's support website (www.intel.com) matching the specific adapter model
  4. 4. Run the Intel driver/firmware update utility and allow it to update the wireless adapter firmware to the fixed version
  5. 5. Restart the system when prompted to complete the firmware update
  6. 6. Verify the updated firmware version in device manager to confirm the fix is applied
Caveat Firmware updates for wireless adapters typically require system restart and may reset wireless configuration; ensure backup of wireless profiles

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

Fix this in Amt Ac 8260 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2021-0173 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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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