CVE-2023-41090
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 · uneditedRace condition in some Intel(R) MAS software before version 2.3 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 · moderate confidenceA race condition vulnerability in Intel(R) MAS (Management and Configuration) software before version 2.3 allows a privileged local user to potentially escalate their privileges by exploiting a race condition in the software's execution flow.
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< 2.3CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Intel MAS is installedOn Windows: Check for 'Intel Memory and Storage Tool' or 'Intel MAS' in Programs and Features, or search for 'imas' in Add/Remove Programs. On Linux: Run 'rpm -qa | grep -i intel-mas' or 'dpkg -l | grep -i intel-mas'. On macOS: Check /Applications for Intel MAS app.Affected if Intel MAS software is found on the system
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Identify the installed versionOn Windows: Right-click the Intel MAS entry in Programs and Features and select 'Properties' to view version, or run 'imas.exe --version' if the CLI is available. On Linux: Run 'imas-cli --version' or check the RPM/DEB package version with 'rpm -q intel-mas' or 'dpkg -l intel-mas'. On macOS: Right-click Intel MAS.app and select 'Get Info' to see version.Affected if The version displayed is lower than 2.3 (for example, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, or any version number less than 2.3)
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Check if Intel MAS service or driver is loadedOn Windows: Open Services console (services.msc) and look for 'Intel Memory and Storage Tool' service, or run 'sc query imas' in Command Prompt. On Linux: Check running processes with 'ps aux | grep -i imas' or 'ps aux | grep -i intel-mas'. Also check loaded drivers with 'lsmod | grep imas' if applicable.Affected if The Intel MAS service, daemon, or driver is actively running on the system
The system is affected if Intel Memory and Storage Tool is installed with a version lower than 2.3 and the software service or associated drivers are loaded in memory.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped2.3
Upgrade Intel(R) MAS software to version 2.3 or later to address the race condition vulnerability.
Version 2.3
- 1. Identify the current version of Intel Memory And Storage Tool (MAS) installed on the system
- 2. Navigate to the official Intel support website to download the Intel MAS update
- 3. Download Intel MAS version 2.3 or later (or the latest available version)
- 4. Follow Intel's standard installation procedure to upgrade the software to version 2.3 or later
- 5. Verify the installed version reflects the update (confirm version 2.3 or later is now running
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,904.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-41090 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-41090 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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