dbcve.org
Active Management Technology FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2021-33068

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.0.35 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
Null pointer dereference in subsystem for Intel(R) AMT before versions 15.0.35 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via network 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

A null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) subsystems in versions prior to 15.0.35. An authenticated user with network access can trigger the null pointer dereference, causing a denial of service condition.

MitigationUpdate Intel AMT firmware to version 15.0.35 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to AMT interfaces and ensure strong authentication controls are in place.

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
Active Management Technology FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 15.0.35
Cloud BackupApplication
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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 Intel AMT firmware version
    Access the Intel AMT web interface via the device's IP address (typically on ports 16992/16993) or use Intel Setup and Configuration Software (Intel SCS) to query the firmware version. The version is displayed in the AMT dashboard under 'Firmware Version' or 'General Settings'.
    Affected if The displayed firmware version is below 15.0.35 (for example, 15.0.20, 14.1.x, or earlier)
  2. Confirm AMT is enabled and network-accessible
    Verify that Intel AMT is in a 'Enabled' state in the system BIOS/UEFI settings under 'Intel AMT' or 'Active Management Technology'. Additionally, confirm the AMT web interface is reachable over the network on the management LAN.
    Affected if AMT is enabled and exposed on the network, making it reachable to authenticated users on the network
  3. Check for active AMT user accounts
    Review the list of AMT user accounts via the AMT web interface under 'Users' or 'User Accounts', or query via Intel SCS. Identify accounts with network access privileges (typically those with 'Administrator' or 'User' roles enabled for network access).
    Affected if There is at least one authenticated user account with network access configured in AMT
  4. For NetApp Cloud Backup environments, identify AMT integration
    Examine the NetApp Cloud Backup environment to determine if Intel AMT is being used for out-of-band management. Check NetApp documentation or the Cloud Backup management console for any references to Intel AMT or out-of-band management interfaces.
    Affected if Netapp Cloud Backup is deployed and utilizes Intel AMT for management or backup operations

Your environment is affected if Intel AMT firmware version is below 15.0.35 AND AMT is enabled with at least one authenticated user having network access, or if Netapp Cloud Backup uses Intel AMT integration.

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 15.0.35 or later
Fixed in 15.0.35
Interim mitigation

Update Intel AMT firmware to version 15.0.35 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to AMT interfaces and ensure strong authentication controls are in place.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel AMT firmware version 15.0.35 or later

  1. Identify all systems running Intel AMT firmware versions prior to 15.0.35
  2. Obtain the Intel AMT firmware version 15.0.35 or later from Intel's official support channels
  3. Follow Intel's standard firmware update procedure for AMT, typically via the Intel Management Engine BIOS Extension (MEBX) or Intel SCS (Setup and Configuration Software)
  4. Verify the firmware has been successfully updated to version 15.0.35 or later
  5. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by verifying the running firmware version

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

Fix this in Active Management Technology 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-2021-33068 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