Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-3620 is a speculative-execution hardware issue affecting multiple Intel microprocessor-based systems. A local, low-privileged attacker could potentially infer sensitive information from the processor's L1 data cache. It is not a remote compromise issue, but it matters for shared servers, managed workstations, and systems where untrusted local users can run code.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority confidentiality risk, not an emergency internet-facing flaw. Prioritize remediation on shared infrastructure and regulated-data systems, then fold remaining assets into normal firmware and OS maintenance cycles.
Technical view
The CVE describes unauthorized information disclosure through speculative execution, address translation behavior, terminal page faults, and side-channel analysis. The listed CVSS is 5.6 with local access, high attack complexity, low privileges, changed scope, and high confidentiality impact. Public references include CERT and multiple OS vendor advisories, indicating platform-level update handling.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant on Intel-based systems that allow local user access or run workloads from different trust levels. The bundle lists Intel Corporation Multiple as affected, with no specific CPU model list provided here.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires local user access and high-complexity side-channel conditions, so urgency is highest for multi-user or shared-compute environments.
Researcher notes
Evidence in the bundle supports local, high-complexity side-channel information disclosure from L1 data cache behavior. The bundle does not provide exploit telemetry, model-specific affected lists, or detailed mitigation mechanics, so validation should rely on vendor advisories for the exact platform.
Mitigation direction
- Identify affected Intel-based systems and their operating system vendors.
- Apply relevant vendor-provided kernel, firmware, or microcode updates where applicable.
- Review CERT VU#982149 and your OS vendor advisory for platform-specific guidance.
- Prioritize shared servers, virtualization hosts, and systems allowing untrusted local code.
- Where patch status is unclear, check current vendor guidance before accepting risk.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Intel-based assets with local user or shared workload exposure.
- Compare OS, kernel, and firmware status against applicable vendor advisories.
- Confirm vendor mitigations are enabled after maintenance windows.
- Document systems where updates are unavailable or deferred.
- Reassess risk for any systems hosting untrusted local users or workloads.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-203: Information exposure and cloud metadata lookup
Information exposure and SSRF weaknesses can make discovery, cloud metadata, and credential material review relevant. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-3620 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N1.14CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.6MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- VU#982149CVE reference, intel · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_CERT-VN
- GLSA-201810-06CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_GENTOO
- USN-3741-2CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- RHSA-2018:2393CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- USN-3823-1CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- RHSA-2018:2389CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2018:2390CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2018:2403CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2018:2395CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2018:2384CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- USN-3740-2CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- FreeBSD-SA-18:09CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_FREEBSD
- DSA-4274CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_DEBIAN
- FEDORA-2018-1c80fea1cdCVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_FEDORA
- RHSA-2018:2388CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- USN-3741-1CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- RHSA-2018:2603CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2018:2402CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- 20180814 CPU Side-Channel Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities: August 2018CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_CISCO
- FEDORA-2018-f8cba144aeCVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_FEDORA
- USN-3742-2CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- RHSA-2018:2404CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- USN-3740-1CVE reference, intel · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Observable Discrepancy
Observable Discrepancy represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.