CVE-2022-21162

Local privilege escalation via uncontrolled search path

Published May 10, 2023 · Updated Jan 27, 2025

Uncontrolled search path in Intel HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC before 1.79.1.1 allows local users to escalate privileges. The updater resolves a dependency through an uncontrolled search path, but Intel has not published the affected executable, dependency, or writable path element. Exploitation requires authenticated local access and user interaction; success grants elevated privileges, but Intel has not bounded the resulting actions.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled search path in Intel HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC before 1.79.1.1 allows local users to escalate privileges. The updater resolves a dependency through an uncontrolled search path, but Intel has not published the affected executable, dependency, or writable path element. Exploitation requires authenticated local access and user interaction; success grants elevated privileges, but Intel has not bounded the resulting actions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-21162
Published
May 10, 2023
Updated
Jan 27, 2025
Vendor
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
Product
Intel HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 27, 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 version 1.79.1.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. · Intel HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUCversion=before version 1.79.1.1

Published CVSS scores

7.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7Intel CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/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 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-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574Hijack Execution Flow

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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