Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a firmware-level Intel processor issue. A user who already has local privileged access could potentially gain higher privileges through BIOS authenticated code. It is not described as remotely exploitable, but successful abuse could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Executive priority
Treat as high-priority firmware maintenance, not an emergency remote-exploit event based on the provided evidence. Focus first on servers, appliances, and privileged-user environments where local compromise could become platform-level control.
Technical view
CVE-2021-0159 is CWE-20 improper input validation in the BIOS authenticated code module for some Intel processors. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems using Intel processor and BIOS combinations covered by Intel SA-00601 or downstream vendor advisories. The bundle does not provide exact processor versions, so affected status requires vendor lookup.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The attack context is local access by a privileged user, which reduces internet-scale urgency but matters for endpoint, server, and appliance hardening.
Researcher notes
Affected version detail is incomplete in the bundle and deferred to references. Validate exact hardware, BIOS package, and vendor remediation path before scoping. Do not generalize this to all Intel processors without advisory confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Review Intel SA-00601 for affected processor and firmware guidance.
- Check OEM or appliance vendor advisories for model-specific BIOS updates.
- Apply vendor-provided BIOS or firmware updates when available.
- Prioritize systems with shared administration, high-value data, or weak local access controls.
- Use NetApp guidance where NetApp-managed platforms are in scope.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Intel processor models and current BIOS firmware versions.
- Map assets against Intel SA-00601 and applicable OEM advisories.
- Check NetApp advisory applicability for NetApp environments.
- Confirm firmware update status through asset management or device setup screens.
- Verify no unsupported assumptions include unaffected Intel systems.
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-20: 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-2021-0159 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-00601.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220818-0003/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.
Improper Input Validation
Improper Input Validation represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.