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Converged Security Management Engine FirmwareApplication · Intel

CVE-2022-29871

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.0.48 / 11.8.94 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 access control in the Intel(R) CSME software installer before version 2239.3.7.0 may allow an authenticated 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 confidence

Improper access control in the Intel CSME (Converged Security and Management Engine) software installer allows an authenticated local user to escalate privileges. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 2239.3.7.0 and stems from inadequate permission controls during the installation process.

MitigationApply the Intel CSME software installer update version 2239.3.7.0 or later, which typically requires updating the system BIOS/UEFI firmware through the vendor-provided firmware patch.

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
Converged Security Management Engine FirmwareApplication
Affected:< 11.12.94< 11.8.94< 12.0.93< 14.1.70>= 14.5.0, < 14.5.50< 15.0.45< 16.1.27< 13.50.25< 13.30.35< 13.0.65< 11.22.94< 4.0.48

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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. Check Intel CSME firmware version via Intel tool or system BIOS
    Use the Intel CSME Version Detection Tool (or access BIOS/UEFI setup and look for 'Intel CSME Version' or 'Intel Management Engine Version' under security or advanced settings). Record the installed firmware version number.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: < 11.12.94; < 11.8.94; < 12.0.93; < 14.1.70; >= 14.5.0 but < 14.5.50; < 15.0.45; < 16.1.27; < 13.50.25; < 13.30.35; < 13.0.65; < 11.22.94; or < 4.0.48. Compare your installed version against these thresholds.
  2. Verify the CSME installer was recently run
    Review system logs (Windows Event Viewer under Application/System logs, or installer logs in %TEMP% or Intel installation directories) for recent Intel CSME or Management Engine installer executions. Check timestamps and the installer version used.
    Affected if A CSME installer version prior to 2239.3.7.0 was executed on the system, and the CSME firmware remains at a vulnerable version.
  3. Confirm local authenticated user access exists
    Verify that standard local user accounts exist on the system (check via 'net user' command or Local Users and Groups). The vulnerability requires an authenticated local user to be present.
    Affected if One or more local user accounts exist on the system, which would allow a local authenticated attacker to potentially exploit the improper access control during installation.

You are affected if your Intel CSME firmware version is below any of the thresholds listed and you have local user accounts on the system; the privilege escalation can occur during the CSME installer process.

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 4.0.48 / 11.8.94 / 11.12.94 or later
Fixed in 4.0.4811.8.9411.12.94
Interim mitigation

Apply the Intel CSME software installer update version 2239.3.7.0 or later, which typically requires updating the system BIOS/UEFI firmware through the vendor-provided firmware patch.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel CSME firmware version 2239.3.7.0 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current version of Intel CSME firmware by running the CSME Version Detection tool or checking system BIOS/UEFI information
  2. 2. Download the Intel CSME firmware update utility from the official Intel Support website (support.intel.com) for your specific Intel platform/chipset
  3. 3. Apply the firmware update through Intel's CSME update mechanism - typically via the Intel CSME System Tools or through OEM-provided firmware update utilities
  4. 4. Verify the update was successful by checking the CSME firmware version shows 2239.3.7.0 or later
  5. 5. Ensure the system is powered continuously during the update process and do not interrupt the flashing operation
Caveat Firmware updates carry inherent risk; ensure backup and uninterruptible power; OEM systems may require OEM-specific firmware updates rather than generic Intel tools

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

Fix this in Converged Security Management Engine Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,970
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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-2022-29871 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