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Uncontrolled Search Path (DLL Hijack)Weakness · CWE-427

CVE-2025-24842

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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
Uncontrolled search path for the Intel(R) System Support Utility before version 4.1.0 within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. Unprivileged software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable local code execution. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present without special internal knowledge and requires passive user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.

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

Intel System Support Utility before version 4.1.0 contains an uncontrolled search path vulnerability (also known as DLL hijacking). The application loads dynamic-link libraries from locations that may be writable by unprivileged users, allowing an attacker with local access to place a malicious DLL that gets executed with elevated (privileged) user rights when the application runs.

MitigationUpdate Intel System Support Utility to version 4.1.0 or later. Until patched, ensure the application directory and system PATH locations are not writable by non-privileged users to prevent DLL planting.

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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/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 installed Intel System Support Utility version
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or right-click the application executable > Properties > Details. Also check C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) System Support Utility or similar installation folder for version info.
    Affected if Version is lower than 4.1.0 (e.g., 4.0.x, 3.x.x, etc.)
  2. Locate the application installation directory
    Find the folder where Intel System Support Utility is installed - typically C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) System Support Utility or C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) System Support Utility.
    Affected if The installation folder exists and contains the application executable (ISSE.exe or similar)
  3. Verify directory permissions are restrictive
    Right-click the installation folder > Properties > Security tab. Check that Users,Authenticated Users, or other non-admin groups do not have Write or Modify permissions.
    Affected if Non-privileged users have Write or Modify access to the application folder, allowing DLL planting
  4. Check system PATH for writable locations
    Run 'echo %PATH%' in command prompt. For each directory listed, right-click > Properties > Security to verify non-privileged users do not have Write permissions.
    Affected if Any PATH directory (especially those before system directories) is writable by non-privileged users, enabling DLL hijacking via PATH search order

You are affected if Intel System Support Utility version is below 4.1.0 AND either the application directory or any PATH directory is writable by non-privileged users, allowing DLL hijacking with elevated privileges.

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 System Support Utility to version 4.1.0 or later. Until patched, ensure the application directory and system PATH locations are not writable by non-privileged users to prevent DLL planting.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel System Support Utility version 4.1.0

  1. Check the current installed version of Intel System Support Utility (typically via Help > About or Programs and Features)
  2. Navigate to the official Intel support website to download Intel System Support Utility version 4.1.0 or later
  3. Uninstall the current version of Intel System Support Utility through Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features
  4. Restart the system if prompted
  5. Install the downloaded Intel System Support Utility version 4.1.0 or later
  6. Verify the installation was successful and confirm the new version number

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

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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-2025-24842 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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