CVE-2021-0189

Privilege escalation via out-of-range BIOS pointer offset

Published May 12, 2022 · Updated May 5, 2025

Out-of-range pointer offset use in Intel processor BIOS firmware allows local users to escalate privileges through local access. The firmware uses a pointer offset outside its valid range, but Intel has not disclosed the affected code path or how attacker-controlled state reaches it. Exploitation requires existing high privileges; successful exploitation grants privileges beyond the existing security boundary.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.27%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-range pointer offset use in Intel processor BIOS firmware allows local users to escalate privileges through local access. The firmware uses a pointer offset outside its valid range, but Intel has not disclosed the affected code path or how attacker-controlled state reaches it. Exploitation requires existing high privileges; successful exploitation grants privileges beyond the existing security boundary.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-0189
Published
May 12, 2022
Updated
May 5, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-119, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 12, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 5, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5Intel CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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