CVE-2020-12291

Local service interruption via resource exhaustion

Published Jun 9, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Uncontrolled resource consumption in Intel Thunderbolt Controllers allows local users to interrupt controller availability. Intel has not disclosed the controller resource, request path, or operation that exhausts it. Successful exploitation requires authenticated local access and causes an availability-only service interruption without reported data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in Intel Thunderbolt Controllers allows local users to interrupt controller availability. Intel has not disclosed the controller resource, request path, or operation that exhausts it. Successful exploitation requires authenticated local access and causes an availability-only service interruption without reported data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-12291
Published
Jun 9, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Intel Corporation
Product
Thunderbolt Controllers
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 9, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=See references

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Intel Corporation · Thunderbolt Controllersversion=See references

Published CVSS scores

2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
6.5Intel CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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