dbcve.org
Quartus PrimeApplication · Intel

CVE-2022-21205

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 21.3 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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 restriction of XML external entity reference in DSP Builder Pro for Intel(R) Quartus(R) Prime Pro Edition before version 21.3 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure 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 · high confidence

DSP Builder Pro for Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition before version 21.3 contains an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability. The application improperly restricts XML external entity references, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to craft malicious XML documents that can access internal files or resources via network access, leading to information disclosure.

MitigationUpgrade DSP Builder Pro for Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition to version 21.3 or later to remediate the XXE vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, disable XML external entity processing in the application configuration or deploy a web application firewall to filter malicious XML payloads.

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
Quartus PrimeApplication
Affected:< 21.3

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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. Locate Intel Quartus Prime installation
    Search the system for 'quartus' executable or check common installation directories such as C:\IntelFPGA_pro or /opt/intelfpga_pro. Run 'quartus_sh --version' or check the Quartus Prime GUI Help > About to identify the installed version.
    Affected if Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition is found with a version lower than 21.3.
  2. Identify DSP Builder Pro installation
    Check for DSP Builder Pro by looking in the Quartus Prime installation directory under 'ip' or 'DSP' subfolders, or open Quartus Prime and navigate to the IP Catalog to locate 'DSP Builder Pro' in the list of installed IP.
    Affected if DSP Builder Pro is installed as part of the Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition installation.
  3. Confirm version is within affected range
    Compare the identified Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition version to the affected range. Versions before 21.3 (such as 21.2, 21.1, 20.x, etc.) are vulnerable.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 21.3, meaning DSP Builder Pro is processing XML with vulnerable parsing.
  4. Verify XML input processing is possible
    Determine if DSP Builder Pro is used to import or process XML-based design files, configuration files, or IP parameters that could accept external XML input. Check recent DSP Builder projects for .xml file usage.
    Affected if DSP Builder Pro processes XML files from untrusted sources, enabling the XXE attack vector.

A defender is affected if Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition with DSP Builder Pro is installed at a version earlier than 21.3 and the application processes XML input.

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 21.3 or later
Fixed in 21.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade DSP Builder Pro for Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition to version 21.3 or later to remediate the XXE vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, disable XML external entity processing in the application configuration or deploy a web application firewall to filter malicious XML payloads.

Recommended fix High confidence

21.3

  1. 1. Back up all existing Quartus Prime projects and settings before upgrading.
  2. 2. Download Quartus Prime Pro Edition version 21.3 or later from the official Intel download center (www.intel.com).
  3. 3. Uninstall the existing DSP Builder Pro for Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition installation.
  4. 4. Install the Quartus Prime Pro Edition version 21.3 package.
  5. 5. Re-apply any custom settings or licenses as needed after installation.
  6. 6. Verify the DSP Builder Pro installation is at version 21.3 or later by checking the installed software version.

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

Fix this in Quartus Prime Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

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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-2022-21205 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