CVE-2022-0004

Privilege escalation via debug lock override

Published May 12, 2022 · Updated May 5, 2025

Improper access control in Intel Boot Guard and Intel TXT allows physically proximate attackers to gain elevated privileges. Hardware debug modes and the processor INIT setting can override locks that protect the startup Authenticated Code Module and CPU debug state. Exploitation requires physical access, or authenticated adjacent BMC access to JTAG on some servers, and can defeat boot-integrity protections.

CVSS severity7.3
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

Improper access control in Intel Boot Guard and Intel TXT allows physically proximate attackers to gain elevated privileges. Hardware debug modes and the processor INIT setting can override locks that protect the startup Authenticated Code Module and CPU debug state. Exploitation requires physical access, or authenticated adjacent BMC access to JTAG on some servers, and can defeat boot-integrity protections.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-0004
Published
May 12, 2022
Updated
May 5, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

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 vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.3IntelCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
7.3IntelCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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