Local privilege escalation via uncontrolled search path
Published May 12, 2026 · Updated May 12, 2026
Uncontrolled search path handling in Intel Server Firmware Update Utility before 16.0.12 allows local users to escalate privileges. Intel identifies an uncontrolled search path in the Ring 3 utility but has not disclosed the affected executable-loading locus or how untrusted path input is resolved. Exploitation requires an authenticated low-privileged user, high complexity, active user interaction, and additional attack requirements, and can compromise system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Summary
What happened
Uncontrolled search path handling in Intel Server Firmware Update Utility before 16.0.12 allows local users to escalate privileges. Intel identifies an uncontrolled search path in the Ring 3 utility but has not disclosed the affected executable-loading locus or how untrusted path input is resolved. Exploitation requires an authenticated low-privileged user, high complexity, active user interaction, and additional attack requirements, and can compromise system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-35969
- Published
- May 12, 2026
- Updated
- May 12, 2026
- Vendor
- Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
- Product
- Intel Server Firmware Update Utility
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 12, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 12, 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=before version 16.0.12.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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