CVE-2025-20027

Local privilege escalation from privileged system software

Published Mar 10, 2026 · Updated Mar 10, 2026

Improper input validation in Intel UEFI Reference Firmware allows local users with privileged system software access to escalate privileges. Intel identifies the affected locus as the WheaERST UEFI module but has not disclosed which input is mishandled or how validation fails. Exploitation requires high privileges, high attack complexity, and additional platform conditions; successful abuse can compromise firmware-level confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity7.1
High
EPSS probability0.10%
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 UEFI Reference Firmware allows local users with privileged system software access to escalate privileges. Intel identifies the affected locus as the WheaERST UEFI module but has not disclosed which input is mishandled or how validation fails. Exploitation requires high privileges, high attack complexity, and additional platform conditions; successful abuse can compromise firmware-level confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-20027
Published
Mar 10, 2026
Updated
Mar 10, 2026
Vendor
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
Product
Intel UEFI Reference Firmware
Classifications
CWE-20, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=See references

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. · Intel UEFI Reference Firmwareversion=See references

Published CVSS scores

7.1Intel CorporationCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA: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.

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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-20Improper Input Validation
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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