Privilege escalation via WheaERST SMM race
Published Mar 10, 2026 · Updated Mar 10, 2026
A TOCTOU race in the WheaERST SMM module of Intel UEFI Reference Firmware allows local users to escalate privileges. Intel identifies the check/use timing gap and affected module but has not published the checked resource or the later operation that consumes it. The flaw requires privileged system software, local access, high attack complexity, and specific race conditions, with no user interaction.
Summary
What happened
A TOCTOU race in the WheaERST SMM module of Intel UEFI Reference Firmware allows local users to escalate privileges. Intel identifies the check/use timing gap and affected module but has not published the checked resource or the later operation that consumes it. The flaw requires privileged system software, local access, high attack complexity, and specific race conditions, with no user interaction.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-20028
- Published
- Mar 10, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
- Product
- Intel UEFI Reference Firmware
- Classifications
- CWE-367, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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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- Affected versionversion=See references
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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