CVE-2021-33089
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 · uneditedImproper access control in the software installer for the Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC8i3BE, NUC8i5BE, NUC8i7BE before version 1.78.4.0.4 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 · high confidenceThis vulnerability exists in the software installer for the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool (versions before 1.78.4.0.4). The improper access control in the installer allows an authenticated local user to potentially escalate their privileges. The issue affects NUC8i3BE, NUC8i5BE, and NUC8i7BE models.
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< 1.78.4.0.4CVSS 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 your Intel NUC modelCheck the system information or physical label on the device to confirm the model numberAffected if The model is NUC8i3BE, NUC8i5BE, or NUC8i7BE (these are the affected models)
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Check if the HDMI Firmware Update Tool is installedLook for the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool in the list of installed programs on the systemAffected if The tool is installed on the system
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Find the installed version of the firmware update toolOpen the programs and features list or the about/version information for the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool to determine the exact version numberAffected if The installed version is shown as a version number less than 1.78.4.0.4
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Compare your version to the affected rangeCompare the version you found against the vulnerable version range (anything below 1.78.4.0.4)Affected if The installed version is lower than 1.78.4.0.4
You are affected if you have an NUC8i3BE, NUC8i5BE, or NUC8i7BE model with the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool installed at a version earlier than 1.78.4.0.4
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 · scoped1.78.4.0.4
Update the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool to version 1.78.4.0.4 or later to resolve the access control vulnerability.
1.78.4.0.4 or later
- 1. Identify the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool currently installed on the system
- 2. Navigate to the official Intel support website at www.intel.com
- 3. Search for the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC8i3BE, NUC8i5BE, or NUC8i7BE
- 4. Download version 1.78.4.0.4 or later
- 5. Run the installer with appropriate administrative privileges
- 6. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update
- 7. Verify the installed version matches the fixed release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-33089 — 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-2021-33089 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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