dbcve.org
Improper Input ValidationWeakness · CWE-20

CVE-2023-38654

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
87/100
Remediation priority · High
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 for some some Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi software for Windows before version 23.20 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable 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 · moderate confidence

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software for Windows contains an improper input validation vulnerability in versions prior to 23.20. An unauthenticated attacker with adjacent network access can exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service condition, likely through malformed input processed by the WiFi driver or management software.

MitigationUpdate Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software to version 23.20 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/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 PROSet/Wireless WiFi software version
    Open Windows Settings > Apps & Features (or Add/Remove Programs), search for Intel PROSet or Intel Wireless, and note the installed version number
    Affected if The displayed version is earlier than 23.20 (for example, 22.x.x or earlier)
  2. Verify Intel WiFi adapter is present and enabled
    Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, look for Intel WiFi adapter (such as Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200/AX201/AX211 series) and confirm it shows as enabled
    Affected if An Intel WiFi adapter is installed and enabled; the vulnerability requires the WiFi hardware and driver to be present
  3. Confirm Intel PROSet service or management software is installed
    Open Services console (services.msc) or check for Intel PROSet entries in Programs and Features, look for Intel PROSet Wireless or Intel Wireless Control
    Affected if Intel PROSet/Wireless management software is installed; the vulnerability exists in this software component
  4. Check if WiFi is actively configured or in use
    Check WiFi status in Windows Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, or right-click the WiFi icon in system tray to see if wireless is enabled and connected
    Affected if WiFi is enabled and the Intel wireless adapter is active; adjacent network attack requires the WiFi stack to be operational

If Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software version is installed and is earlier than 23.20, and the WiFi adapter is enabled, the environment is likely affected by this improper input validation vulnerability.

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

Update Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software to version 23.20 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software version 23.20 or later

  1. Identify the current version of Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi software installed on the Windows system (check via Control Panel > Programs and Features or Device Manager)
  2. Navigate to Intel's official support website and download Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software version 23.20 or later
  3. Run the installer with administrative privileges
  4. Follow the on-screen installation instructions provided by Intel
  5. Restart the computer if prompted by the installer
  6. Verify the updated version is correctly installed by checking the software version in Programs and Features

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-38654 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-38654 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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