CVE-2021-33097
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 · uneditedTime-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in the Crypto API Toolkit for Intel(R) SGX may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege 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 · moderate confidenceA time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability exists in the Crypto API Toolkit for Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX). This vulnerability allows a privileged user to potentially escalate their privileges by exploiting the gap between when the system checks a condition and when that condition is actually used, potentially via network access.
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< 2021-08-02CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify if Intel Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGX is installedCheck system inventory or installed software list for Intel Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGXAffected if The toolkit is present on the system
-
Determine the installed version of Intel Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGXLocate the toolkit installation and retrieve its version information, then compare the version or release date to the fixed version (released 2021-08-02)Affected if The installed version is dated before 2021-08-02 or otherwise identified as vulnerable
-
Verify the toolkit is currently active or loadedCheck if the Crypto API Toolkit service or component is running or loaded in memoryAffected if The vulnerable version is actively running or loaded
-
Check for privileged user accessReview which user accounts have privileged access to the toolkit or the system where it is deployedAffected if Privileged users exist who could potentially exploit the TOCTOU race condition gap
-
Determine if network access is availableAssess whether the system running the toolkit has network connectivity that could be used to trigger the race conditionAffected if Network access exists, creating the potential attack vector mentioned in the CVE summary
The environment is affected if Intel Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGX is installed with a version dated before 2021-08-02 and the toolkit is actively running or loaded.
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 · scoped2021-08-02
Apply the vendor-provided patch or updated Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGX. Review and harden access controls for privileged users to reduce the attack surface for this race condition.
2021-08-02 (or any subsequent release)
- Identify the current version of Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGX installed in your environment
- Locate and download the updated Crypto API Toolkit for Intel SGX version 2021-08-02 or later from the official Intel website or your Intel support channel
- Review the release notes and any security advisory information associated with the update
- Backup any existing configurations or data related to the Crypto API Toolkit
- Uninstall or remove the vulnerable version of the Crypto API Toolkit
- Install the updated version (2021-08-02 or later) following Intel's installation documentation
- Verify the installation was successful and the new version is running
- Test that the Crypto API Toolkit functionality remains operational after the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,248.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-33097 — 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-2021-33097 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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