dbcve.org
Uefi Wifi DriverApplication · Intel

CVE-2021-33115

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.2.8.21337 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges 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
Improper input validation for some Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi in UEFI may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege 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 confidence

Improper input validation in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi UEFI firmware allows an unauthenticated attacker with adjacent network access to escalate privileges. This vulnerability exists in the pre-boot wireless driver environment where insufficient validation of network inputs could allow execution at elevated firmware levels.

MitigationApply Intel firmware/driver updates for affected PROSet/Wireless products; until patched, restrict physical/network proximity to trusted personnel and segment wireless networks.

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
Uefi Wifi DriverApplication
Affected:< 1.2.8.21337

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software is installed
    Check Windows Programs and Features or run 'wmic product get name,version' looking for Intel PROSet or Intel Wireless software
    Affected if The system has Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software present - this indicates the vulnerable component could be in use
  2. Determine wireless adapter firmware version
    Open Intel PROSet/Wireless software or use 'netsh wlan show drivers' to view driver and firmware information. Check UEFI/BIOS version under System Information or Intel Driver & Support Assistant
    Affected if The wireless adapter firmware version is shown as less than 1.2.8.21337
  3. Check if pre-boot wireless functionality is enabled
    Access UEFI/BIOS settings during boot (typically F2 or Del key) and navigate to wireless or network configuration options to see if pre-boot WiFi or Intel ME is active
    Affected if Pre-boot wireless network access or Intel Management Engine is enabled in UEFI settings
  4. Identify the wireless adapter model
    Run 'devmgmt.msc' or check Device Manager under Network Adapters to identify the Intel WiFi adapter model (e.g., WiFi 6, WiFi 5 series)
    Affected if An Intel wireless adapter known to use the affected UEFI firmware driver is present

The system is affected if Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software is installed with a wireless adapter firmware version below 1.2.8.21337 and pre-boot wireless network access is enabled in the UEFI environment.

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 1.2.8.21337 or later
Fixed in 1.2.8.21337
Interim mitigation

Apply Intel firmware/driver updates for affected PROSet/Wireless products; until patched, restrict physical/network proximity to trusted personnel and segment wireless networks.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi UEFI Driver version 1.2.8.21337 or later

  1. Identify the current version of the Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi UEFI driver installed on the affected system
  2. Navigate to the Intel Support website or use Intel Driver & Support Assistant to check for updates
  3. Download and install Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software version 1.2.8.21337 or later
  4. Verify the updated version by checking the driver details in Device Manager or UEFI settings
  5. Reboot the system to ensure the UEFI driver update is properly applied
Caveat Verify UEFI driver compatibility with your specific wireless adapter model before upgrading; some older adapters may not support the updated driver

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

Fix this in Uefi Wifi Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,808.

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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-2021-33115 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