CVE-2021-33161
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 in some Intel(R) Ethernet Adapters and Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I225 Manageability firmware may allow a privileged 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 · moderate confidenceThis vulnerability exists in Intel Ethernet Adapters and Intel Ethernet Controller I225 Manageability firmware. It involves improper input validation that allows a privileged local user to potentially escalate their privileges. The issue is firmware-based, affecting network adapter manageability functionality.
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< 1.87< 1.87< 1.87< 29.0.1CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/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 Intel I225 Ethernet controller presenceOn Linux, run 'lspci | grep -i ethernet' or 'lshw -C network' to list network adapters. On Windows, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters. Look for Intel Ethernet Controller I225 variants (It, Lm, or V).Affected if No Intel I225 controller is present in the system
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Check I225 firmware versionOn Linux, use 'ethtool -i <interface>' where <interface> is the I225 interface (e.g., eth0). On Windows, open Device Manager, right-click the Intel I225 adapter, select Properties, go to the Firmware tab. Record the firmware version shown.Affected if Firmware version is below 1.87 (e.g., 1.86, 1.80, etc.)
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Check Intel Ethernet Adapter driver versionOn Linux, run 'ethtool -i <interface>' or check the driver version via 'modinfo e1000e' or similar. On Windows, open Device Manager, right-click the Intel Ethernet adapter, select Properties, go to the Driver tab. Record the driver version.Affected if Driver version is below 29.0.1 (e.g., 28.x, 27.x, etc.)
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Verify manageability feature statusOn Linux, check for Intel AMT or manageability services via 'systemctl list-units | grep -i manage' or inspect BIOS settings if accessible. On Windows, check Intel Management Engine status or look for Intel AMT provisions in the system. The vulnerability affects the manageability functionality specifically.Affected if Intel manageability or AMT features are enabled and configured on the system
A system is affected if it contains an Intel Ethernet Controller I225 with firmware below 1.87 or an Intel Ethernet Adapter driver below 29.0.1, with manageability features enabled, allowing a local privileged user to potentially escalate privileges.
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 · scoped1.8729.0.1
Apply the latest Intel firmware updates for affected Ethernet adapters and I225 controllers. Prioritize systems with local privileged access vectors.
Intel Ethernet Controller I225 firmware >= 1.87 and Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver >= 29.0.1
- Identify the current firmware version of the Intel Ethernet Controller I225 by accessing the device management interface or using Intel's firmware update utilities
- Identify the current Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver version via Device Manager or driver properties
- Download the Intel Ethernet Controller I225 firmware version 1.87 or later from Intel's support website
- Download the Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver version 29.0.1 or later from Intel's support website
- Apply the firmware update first by following Intel's documented firmware update procedure for the I225 controller
- After firmware update is complete, install the updated driver version 29.0.1 or later
- Reboot the system as required by the firmware and driver updates
- Verify that the installed firmware shows version 1.87 or higher and driver shows 29.0.1 or higher
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-33161 — 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-2021-33161 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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