Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-0116 is a high-severity Intel processor firmware flaw. A local user with some privilege could potentially gain higher privileges on an affected system. This is not a remote internet attack based on the provided sources, but it matters for shared, high-value, or appliance-based environments.
Executive priority
Handle in the normal high-severity firmware remediation queue, with faster action for shared or sensitive systems. Business urgency is moderate-to-high because exploitation requires local access, but successful exploitation could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Technical view
The issue is an out-of-bounds write in firmware for some Intel processors, classified as CWE-787. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure depends on whether systems, appliances, or vendor platforms use Intel processor firmware covered by Intel SA-00527. The bundle does not list specific affected processor models or firmware versions, so hardware and vendor advisory mapping is required.
Exploitation context
The provided CVSS vector indicates local access and low privileges are required. CISA KEV status is false, and the supplied sources do not state active exploitation. Treat this as a privilege-escalation risk after local foothold, not as an unauthenticated remote-entry issue.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record, Intel advisory reference, and NetApp confirmation reference. The bundle does not include affected model lists, firmware versions, exploit proof, or detailed fixes. Further analysis should stay anchored to vendor advisories.
Mitigation direction
- Review Intel SA-00527 for affected processor firmware and vendor guidance.
- Apply Intel, OEM, or platform firmware updates where your vendor identifies exposure.
- Check NetApp advisory NTAP-20220210-0007 for relevant platform impact guidance.
- Prioritize shared servers, high-value endpoints, and systems with untrusted local users.
- Limit unnecessary local access while remediation status is being confirmed.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Intel processor models and firmware or BIOS versions across managed assets.
- Map hardware and appliances against Intel SA-00527 and vendor advisories.
- Confirm whether NetApp-managed systems are covered by NTAP-20220210-0007.
- Verify firmware update status through endpoint, server, or appliance management tooling.
- Document systems where vendor exposure status is unknown or pending.
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-787: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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-2021-0116 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
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:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00527.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220210-0007/CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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.
Out-of-bounds Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.