CVE-2023-32641

Privilege escalation and service interruption via firmware input

Published Nov 14, 2023 · Updated Aug 30, 2024

Improper input validation in Intel QAT firmware before QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 allows attackers to gain privileges or interrupt service. Intel has not disclosed the affected firmware interface, the rejected input type, or the validation operation that fails. Exploitation requires adjacent access, low privileges, high attack complexity, and user interaction; successful attacks can alter protected state or disrupt QAT-dependent workloads.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.31%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in Intel QAT firmware before QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004 allows attackers to gain privileges or interrupt service. Intel has not disclosed the affected firmware interface, the rejected input type, or the validation operation that fails. Exploitation requires adjacent access, low privileges, high attack complexity, and user interaction; successful attacks can alter protected state or disrupt QAT-dependent workloads.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-32641
Published
Nov 14, 2023
Updated
Aug 30, 2024
Vendor
Intel Corporation
Product
Intel QuickAssist Technology Software for Linux
Classifications
CWE-20, T1499, T1068
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 30, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=before version QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Intel Corporation · Intel QuickAssist Technology Software for Linuxversion=before version QAT20.L.1.0.40-00004

Published CVSS scores

7.3Intel CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service
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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