CVE-2025-33000
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 · uneditedImproper input validation for some Intel QuickAssist Technology before version 2.6.0 within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a low complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires no 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 confidenceImproper input validation vulnerability in Intel QuickAssist Technology user-mode (Ring 3) components before version 2.6.0 allows authenticated local attackers to escalate privileges via a low-complexity attack requiring no user interaction or special internal knowledge.
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< 2.6.0-0018CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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.
-
Identify if Intel QuickAssist Technology is installedCheck for QAT drivers, services, or software components. On Linux, look for qat_service, qat_driver or check /opt/intel/qat for installation directories. On Windows, check Program Files for Intel QAT directories or look for QAT-related services in the registry or services.msc.Affected if Intel QuickAssist Technology software is present on the system
-
Determine the installed QAT versionLocate the QAT version information. Common locations: run 'qat_engine -v' or 'qat_monitor -v' if QAT tools are installed, check /version file in QAT installation directories, or review the software manifest/binary properties. Compare the version number against 2.6.0-0018.Affected if The installed version is earlier than 2.6.0-0018
-
Verify QAT user-mode applications are presentCheck for QAT user-mode executables or libraries. Look for files such as qa_engine, qat_usdm, c6xxdevnm or similar user-space QAT components in installation directories or system paths. These are the Ring 3 components where the input validation flaw exists.Affected if QAT user-mode applications or libraries are present on the system
-
Confirm QAT service or daemon is running (if applicable)Check if QAT-related services are active. On Linux, run 'systemctl status qat' or check for qat processes. On Windows, verify QAT services are started via services.msc or 'sc query qat'.Affected if The QAT service or daemon is running and accessible to authenticated local users
The environment is affected if Intel QuickAssist Technology version earlier than 2.6.0-0018 is installed with user-mode components available to authenticated local users.
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 · scoped2.6.0-0018
Update Intel QuickAssist Technology to version 2.6.0 or later to remediate the improper input validation vulnerability.
2.6.0-0018 or later
- Obtain Intel QuickAssist Technology version 2.6.0-0018 or later from the official Intel website or your Intel support channel
- Follow Intel's standard upgrade procedure for QuickAssist Technology software
- Verify the installed version after upgrade to confirm the fix is applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-33000 — 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-2025-33000 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
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.
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.
- 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