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Nuc Kit Nuc8i7hnk FirmwareOperating system · Intel

CVE-2022-21794

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 authentication in BIOS firmware for some Intel(R) NUC Boards, Intel(R) NUC Business, Intel(R) NUC Enthusiast, Intel(R) NUC Kits before version HN0067 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 · high confidence

This is an improper authentication vulnerability in the BIOS firmware of Intel NUC boards and kits. A privileged user with local access can exploit this authentication weakness to escalate their privileges. The vulnerability is fixed in BIOS version HN0067.

MitigationApply the Intel BIOS firmware update (version HN0067 or later) to all affected Intel NUC products. This is a straightforward firmware update that can be deployed via Intel's firmware update utilities or through standard system management tools.

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
Nuc Kit Nuc8i7hnk FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< hn0067
Nuc Kit Nuc8i7hvk FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< hn0067
Nuc 8 Enthusiast Nuc8i7hvkva FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< hn0067
Nuc 8 Enthusiast Nuc8i7hvkvaw FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< hn0067
Nuc 8 Business Nuc8i7hnkqc FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< hn0067

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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 checks

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

  1. Identify the exact NUC model number
    Check the system label on the chassis or run `dmidecode -s system-product-name` to confirm the exact model (e.g., Nuc8i7hnk, Nuc8i7hvk, Nuc8i7hvkva, Nuc8i7hvkvaw, or Nuc8i7hnkqc)
    Affected if The model is one of the five affected variants listed in the CVE
  2. Retrieve the current BIOS firmware version
    Run `dmidecode -s bios-version` or enter BIOS setup (press F2 at boot) and locate the BIOS version information under the Main or Information tab
    Affected if A version number is returned that can be compared to the fixed version
  3. Compare installed version against HN0067
    Check if the installed version is lower than HN0067. Note that version formats may vary (e.g., HN0067, HNSMLK.86A.0067, or similar); focus on the numeric portion
    Affected if The installed BIOS version is less than HN0067 (any version before the fix)
  4. Verify local privileged access exists
    Determine if a user with local administrator or root privileges can log in to the system. This is a prerequisite for exploitation
    Affected if Local privileged user accounts exist on the affected NUC

The system is affected if it is one of the five listed NUC models running a BIOS version earlier than HN0067 and has local privileged users.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Intel BIOS firmware update (version HN0067 or later) to all affected Intel NUC products. This is a straightforward firmware update that can be deployed via Intel's firmware update utilities or through standard system management tools.

Recommended fix High confidence

BIOS firmware HN0067

  1. Identify the specific NUC model by checking the product label or system information (e.g., Nuc8i7hnk, Nuc8i7hvk, etc.)
  2. Check the current BIOS firmware version by accessing the BIOS setup (press F2 during boot) or using Intel's System Support Utility
  3. Download BIOS firmware version HN0067 or later from Intel's official support website for the specific NUC model
  4. Follow Intel's instructions to apply the BIOS update - typically by creating a bootable USB update drive or using the Intel BIOS update utility within the operating system
  5. Reboot the system and verify the new firmware version is installed
Caveat BIOS updates carry a small risk if interrupted; ensure stable power and follow update instructions carefully

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

Fix this in Nuc Kit Nuc8i7hnk Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,050
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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-2022-21794 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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