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Sgx SdkApplication · Intel

CVE-2021-0186

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-11-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.13 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 the Intel(R) SGX SDK applications compiled for SGX2 enabled processors may allow a privileged user to potentially 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 · moderate confidence

Improper input validation in Intel SGX SDK applications compiled for SGX2-enabled processors allows a privileged local user to potentially escalate privileges. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of inputs within SGX enclaves running on SGX2 hardware, which could be exploited to gain elevated access.

MitigationUpdate to the latest Intel SGX SDK version containing the fix and recompile affected SGX applications; verify SGX enclave functionality after remediation.

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
Sgx SdkApplication
Affected:<= 2.12<= 2.13
Xeon Gold 6342 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Xeon Gold 6346 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Xeon Gold 6330 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Xeon Platinum 8360y FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Xeon Gold 6354 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Xeon Gold 6314u FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Xeon Gold 6338n FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

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. Check installed Intel SGX SDK version
    On Linux: dpkg -l | grep sgx-sdk or ls /opt/intel/sgxsdk/VERSION. On Windows: Check the installation directory or registry for SGX SDK version.
    Affected if The installed version is 2.12 or lower, or 2.13 or lower (e.g., 2.12.100, 2.13.0)
  2. Identify SGX enclave applications
    Locate compiled enclave binaries (.so on Linux, .dll on Windows) in application directories, typically named with 'enclave' in the filename or stored in /usr/lib/sgx or similar paths.
    Affected if SGX enclave applications exist on the system that were compiled with the vulnerable SDK version
  3. Verify processor SGX2 support
    On Linux: cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep -i sgx. On Windows: Use CPU-Z or the 'wmic cpu get caption' command and cross-reference with Intel ARK for SGX2 capability.
    Affected if The processor supports SGX2 (not just SGX1) - this is required for the vulnerability to be exploitable
  4. Check SGX enclave configuration
    Inspect the enclave configuration file (usually config.xml or similar within the enclave project) for EAUG (Enclave Attribute for User-allocated Pages) or dynamic memory allocation settings that are used with SGX2.
    Affected if SGX enclaves are configured to use dynamic memory allocation or EAUG features (SGX2-specific features)
  5. Review SGX driver and platform firmware version
    On Linux: cat /sys/class/sgx/version or check BIOS/UEFI firmware version for the listed Xeon processors.
    Affected if Running on affected Xeon hardware (Gold 6342, 6346, 6330, 6354, 6314u, 6338n or Platinum 8360y) with unpatched firmware

You are affected if you have SGX enclave applications compiled with Intel SGX SDK version 2.13 or earlier, running on SGX2-capable hardware (particularly affected Xeon processors), with enclaves using dynamic memory features.

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 a release after 2.13
Interim mitigation

Update to the latest Intel SGX SDK version containing the fix and recompile affected SGX applications; verify SGX enclave functionality after remediation.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Intel SGX SDK version 2.14 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current Intel SGX SDK version installed by checking the SDK version or build configuration
  2. 2. Download the latest Intel SGX SDK from the official Intel website or GitHub repository (intel/sgx-sdk)
  3. 3. Upgrade the SGX SDK to version 2.14 or later, as versions 2.12 and 2.13 (and earlier) are affected by this vulnerability
  4. 4. Recompile all SGX applications with the updated SDK to incorporate the input validation fixes
  5. 5. For affected Xeon processor firmware, check Intel's processor firmware update page or Intel SGX platform software for available firmware updates addressing this vulnerability
  6. 6. Apply firmware updates through the appropriate Intel firmware update mechanisms or server vendor tools
Caveat Recompilation of SGX applications may be required; ensure compatibility testing with the new SDK version before production deployment

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

Fix this in Sgx Sdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2021-0186 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data