CVE-2021-33113
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 input validation for some Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi in multiple operating systems and Killer(TM) WiFi in Windows 10 and 11 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable denial of service or information disclosure via adjacent 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 confidenceThis vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi drivers allows an unauthenticated attacker within wireless range to send specially crafted input that triggers improper input validation, potentially causing denial of service or information disclosure via adjacent 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< 22.80< 22.80< 22.80< 22.80< 22.80< 22.80< 22.80< 22.80CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Intel wireless adapter modelOpen Device Manager, expand Network adapters, and locate the Intel WiFi adapter (typically shows as Intel WiFi AXxxx or Intel ACxxxx). Alternatively, run `netsh wlan show drivers` and look for the "Radio" information or use `wmic path win32_networkadapter get name,macaddress` to list network adapters.Affected if The adapter model matches any of these: Intel AC 3165, Intel AC 3168, Intel AC 7265, Intel AC 8260, Intel AC 8265, Intel AC 9260, Intel AC 9461, or Intel AC 9462.
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Check the wireless firmware versionIn Device Manager, right-click the Intel wireless adapter, select Properties, go to the Firmware tab, and note the firmware version displayed. Alternatively, use Intel's PROSet Wireless Software or the `intel_proset_wireless` utility if available, or check the adapter's detailed properties for "Firmware Version".Affected if The displayed firmware version is below 22.80 (for example, 22.70, 21.x, 20.x, etc.).
If the system uses an affected Intel wireless adapter model (AC 3165, 3168, 7265, 8260, 8265, 9260, 9461, or 9462) with firmware version below 22.80, the environment is vulnerable to adjacent network denial of service or information disclosure attacks.
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 · scoped22.80
Apply vendor-provided patches for Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi drivers once available; prioritize patching endpoints with wireless capabilities in high-security environments given the 8.1 severity.
Firmware version 22.80 or later for affected Intel wireless adapters
- Identify the exact Intel wireless adapter model (e.g., AC 3165, AC 9260) from Device Manager under Network adapters
- Download the appropriate firmware update package from Intel's support website or use Intel Driver & Support Assistant
- Install the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software or driver package that includes the firmware update
- Follow the on-screen instructions to update the wireless adapter firmware to version 22.80 or later
- Restart the system to complete the firmware update process
- Verify the firmware version has been updated to 22.80 or higher via Device Manager or Intel PROSet utility
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-33113 — 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-2021-33113 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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