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Quickassist TechnologyApplication · Intel

CVE-2023-32641

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.0.40-00004 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 in firmware for Intel(R) QAT before version QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 may allow escalation of privilege and denial of service 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 · high confidence

This vulnerability in Intel QAT (QuickAssist Technology) firmware versions before QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 involves improper input validation that allows an attacker with adjacent network or physical access to potentially escalate privileges and cause denial of service conditions.

MitigationUpdate Intel QAT firmware to version QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 or later. Since the attack vector requires adjacent access, also restrict physical and network access to affected systems.

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
Quickassist TechnologyApplication
Affected:< 1.0.40-00004

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. Identify if Intel QAT hardware is present
    Use system inventory tools, hardware probes, or BIOS/UEFI information to determine if the system contains Intel QuickAssist Technology adapter or integrated QAT logic.
    Affected if Intel QAT hardware is detected in the system inventory or device listings.
  2. Locate QAT firmware version information
    Access the QAT firmware through Intel QAT management tools, driver utilities, or by querying the QAT device directly for its current firmware version string.
    Affected if A QAT firmware version is reported by the system or management interface.
  3. Compare installed firmware version against affected range
    Compare the detected firmware version to the vulnerable range: any version before QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 is affected. Check if the version string indicates 1.0.40-00004 or later.
    Affected if The detected firmware version is lower than QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004.
  4. Determine if QAT services are active
    Check if Intel QAT drivers, services, or the QAT software stack is loaded and running on the system, which would enable the vulnerable code path.
    Affected if QAT-related processes, drivers, or services are actively running on the system.
  5. Assess network and physical exposure
    Evaluate whether the system with QAT hardware is accessible via adjacent network segments or has unprotected physical access points, as this is required for the attack vector.
    Affected if The system with vulnerable QAT firmware is reachable from adjacent network or has unconstrained physical access.

A system is affected if it contains Intel QAT hardware running firmware version below 1.0.40-00004, has QAT services active, and is accessible via adjacent network or physical access paths.

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 1.0.40-00004 or later
Fixed in 1.0.40-00004
Interim mitigation

Update Intel QAT firmware to version QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 or later. Since the attack vector requires adjacent access, also restrict physical and network access to affected systems.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004

  1. Identify the current Intel QAT firmware version installed on the affected system
  2. Download Intel QAT firmware version QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 or later from the official Intel support website (www.intel.com)
  3. Review Intel's firmware update documentation for the specific platform to understand prerequisites and procedures
  4. Follow Intel's recommended firmware update process, which typically involves: a) Backing up current configuration, b) Loading the new firmware image, c) Verifying the update was successful
  5. Reboot the system if required by the firmware update process
  6. Verify the installed firmware version is now QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 or later
Caveat Firmware updates may require system downtime and should be tested in a non-production environment first; verify compatibility with your specific platform before applying

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

Fix this in Quickassist Technology Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
19.0 hours of engineering $3,320
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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-2023-32641 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