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Amt Ac 8260 FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2021-0175

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 Specified Index, Position, or Offset in 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 an 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

A vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi and Killer Wi-Fi firmware allows improper validation of specified index, position, or offset values in input handling. An unauthenticated attacker within adjacent network range can send specially crafted packets to trigger a denial of service condition, causing the Wi-Fi adapter to become unresponsive or crash.

MitigationApply firmware updates provided by Intel or Killer for the affected Wi-Fi adapters. As a defensive measure, limit exposure by restricting physical/proximity access to trusted networks and monitor for unexpected Wi-Fi adapter failures.

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
    On Windows, open Device Manager > Network adapters. Look for Intel PROSet, Intel Wireless, or Killer Wi-Fi adapter entries (e.g., Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650). On Linux, run 'lspci | grep -i wireless' or 'lspci | grep -i network'. Record the exact model name.
    Affected if The adapter model matches any of these: AC 8260, AC 8265, AC 9260, AC 9560, Wi-Fi 6 AX200, Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Wi-Fi 6 AX210, or AC 3165.
  2. Locate firmware version
    On Windows, open Intel PROSet Wireless software or use Intel Driver & Support Assistant. The firmware version is listed under adapter properties or firmware details. On Linux, use 'iw list' or check /lib/firmware/ for the iwlwifi driver files, or run 'ethtool -i wlan0'. Record the firmware version string.
    Affected if A firmware version is installed but cannot be determined or is below the safe versions.
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Compare your installed firmware version to the following safe versions: AC 8260/8265 need >= 11.8.90; AC 9260/9560 need >= 12.0.85; AX200 needs >= 12.0.85 AND >= 14.1.60 AND >= 15.0.35; AX201 needs >= 14.1.60 AND >= 15.0.35; AX210 needs >= 15.0.35; AC 3165 needs >= 22.60.
    Affected if Your installed firmware version falls within any of these vulnerable ranges: AC 8260/8265 < 11.8.90; AC 9260/9560 < 12.0.85; AX200 < 12.0.85 OR (>= 14.0.0 AND < 14.1.60) OR (>= 15.0.0 AND < 15.0.35); AX201 (>= 14.0.0 AND < 14.1.60) OR (>= 15.0.0 AND < 15.0.35); AX210 < 15.0.35; AC 3165 < 22.60.
  4. Verify Wi-Fi interface is active
    On Windows, check if Wi-Fi adapter shows as enabled in Network Connections. On Linux, run 'ip link show' or 'iwconfig' to confirm the wireless interface (e.g., wlan0) is up. The vulnerability requires the adapter to be powered on and in range.
    Affected if The Wi-Fi adapter is enabled and actively scanning or connected to a network, making it reachable by adjacent attackers.

You are affected if your system uses one of the listed Intel or Killer Wi-Fi adapter models with firmware versions below the safe thresholds and the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled.

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 firmware updates provided by Intel or Killer for the affected Wi-Fi adapters. As a defensive measure, limit exposure by restricting physical/proximity access to trusted networks and monitor for unexpected Wi-Fi adapter failures.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to firmware version 11.8.90 (for 8260/8265), 12.0.85 (for 9260/9560), 15.0.35 (for AX200/AX201/AX210), or 22.60 (for 3165)

  1. Identify the exact wireless adapter model in the system (e.g., AX200, AX210, 8260, etc.)
  2. Determine the current firmware version installed on the wireless adapter
  3. Download the latest firmware update from Intel's support website or through the Intel PROSet/Wireless driver package
  4. Apply the firmware update using Intel's firmware update utility or driver package installation
  5. Reboot the system after applying the firmware update
  6. Verify the firmware version has been updated to a fixed release (11.8.90, 12.0.85, 15.0.35, or 22.60 depending on adapter model)
Caveat Firmware updates may temporarily disconnect network connectivity; ensure stable power during update to avoid rendering the wireless adapter inoperable

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 / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,210
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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-2021-0175 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data