CVE-2021-33159

Local privilege escalation via undisclosed authentication flaw

Published Nov 11, 2022 · Updated Feb 5, 2025

Improper authentication in Intel AMT firmware allows privileged local users to escalate privileges through local access. The flaw is in an AMT subsystem that incorrectly authenticates an operation, but Intel has not disclosed the subsystem, request, or validation error. High local privileges and user interaction are required; affected firmware is before the applicable 11.8.93, 11.12.93, 11.22.93, 12.0.92, 14.1.67, 15.0.42, or 16.1.25 branch fix.

CVSS severity7.4
High
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper authentication in Intel AMT firmware allows privileged local users to escalate privileges through local access. The flaw is in an AMT subsystem that incorrectly authenticates an operation, but Intel has not disclosed the subsystem, request, or validation error. High local privileges and user interaction are required; affected firmware is before the applicable 11.8.93, 11.12.93, 11.22.93, 12.0.92, 14.1.67, 15.0.42, or 16.1.25 branch fix.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-33159
Published
Nov 11, 2022
Updated
Feb 5, 2025
Vendor
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
Product
Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT)
Classifications
CWE-287, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 11, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=before versions 11.8.93, 11.22.93, 11.12.93, 12.0.92, 14.1.67, 15.0.42, 16.1.25

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. · Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT)version=before versions 11.8.93, 11.22.93, 11.12.93, 12.0.92, 14.1.67, 15.0.42, 16.1.25

Published CVSS scores

6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.4Intel CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/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.

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

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication
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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