CVE-2021-33062
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 · uneditedIncorrect default permissions in the software installer for the Intel(R) VTune(TM) Profiler before version 2021.3.0 may allow an authenticated 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 · moderate confidenceThe Intel VTune Profiler installer before version 2021.3.0 sets incorrect default permissions on installed files and directories, likely overly permissive access controls (e.g., excessive rights for Users or Everyone groups). This allows an authenticated local user to modify executable files, DLLs, or configuration files that are subsequently executed by higher-privileged users, enabling local privilege escalation.
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< 2021.3.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Intel VTune Profiler installationCheck if Intel VTune Profiler is installed by looking for the installation directory. Common paths: C:\Program Files\Intel\VTuneProfiler\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\VTuneProfiler\. Also check in the Start Menu for Intel VTune Profiler shortcuts.Affected if The software is found installed on the system
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Determine installed versionLocate the version information in the installation directory. Check the file properties of the main executable (vtune.exe typically in the bin64 folder), or look for a version.txt or About file in the installation directory. You can also use PowerShell: Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Intel\Intel(R) VTune Profiler*' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object DisplayVersion,InstallLocationAffected if The installed version is anything earlier than 2021.3.0 (e.g., 2021.2.x, 2021.1.x, earlier releases)
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Check installation directory permissionsRight-click the Intel VTune Profiler installation folder in Windows Explorer, select Properties, then go to the Security tab. Examine the permissions for the following groups: Users, Everyone, and Authenticated Users. Look for Allow entries with Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions.Affected if Users, Everyone, or Authenticated Users groups have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions on the installation directory or its subfolders
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Verify executable file permissionsNavigate to the bin64 or bin subfolder within the VTune installation directory. Right-click on key executables (vtune.exe, amplxe-runss.exe, etc.) and DLL files, check Properties > Security, and verify whether standard users have write or modify access.Affected if Standard user accounts can modify executables, DLLs, or configuration files in the installation directory
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Check service executable permissionsIf VTune configures any Windows services, check the service executable permissions. Use PowerShell: Get-WmiObject win32_service | Where-Object {$_.Name -like '*VTune*' -or $_.PathName -like '*VTune*' -or $_.PathName -like '*intel*'} | Select-Object Name,PathName,StartName. Then verify file permissions on the executable path.Affected if VTune services exist and their executable files are writable by standard users
A system is affected if Intel VTune Profiler version 2021.3.0 or earlier is installed AND standard users have write or modify permissions on the installation directory or its executables/DLLs, allowing potential privilege escalation.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped2021.3.0
Upgrade Intel VTune Profiler to version 2021.3.0 or later, which contains the corrected installer with proper permission settings. Verify that file permissions on the installation directory follow least-privilege principles.
2021.3.0 or later
- 1. Identify the currently installed Intel VTune Profiler version by checking the application or using system inventory tools
- 2. Download Intel VTune Profiler version 2021.3.0 or later from the official Intel website (www.intel.com)
- 3. Create a backup of any important profiles, data, or custom configurations stored with the current installation
- 4. Uninstall the vulnerable version of Intel VTune Profiler using the standard uninstallation process
- 5. Install the fixed version (2021.3.0 or later) following Intel's installation documentation
- 6. Verify the installation completed successfully and the version is correct
- 7. Restore any backed up profiles or configurations if needed
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-33062 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-33062 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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