Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-0190 is a high-severity Intel processor BIOS firmware issue. A local user who already has some privileges could potentially trigger an unhandled firmware exception and gain higher privileges. It is not described as remotely exploitable, and the provided sources do not show known active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize as a high-risk firmware maintenance issue, especially for servers and shared systems where local privilege boundaries matter. It is not evidenced as internet-remote or actively exploited in the provided bundle, but successful exploitation could give broad system impact.
Technical view
The CVE maps to CWE-755 and CVSS 3.1 score 7.8: local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The weakness is an uncaught exception in BIOS firmware for some Intel processors. Product-specific scope depends on Intel and vendor advisories.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems using affected Intel processor BIOS firmware identified by Intel SA-00601 or vendor advisories. Servers, appliances, and endpoints may depend on OEM BIOS delivery. The bundle does not list exact processor models or firmware versions.
Exploitation context
The source bundle supports local privilege escalation by a privileged user. KEV status is false, and no cited source in the bundle states active exploitation or public weaponization. Treat exploitation status as unconfirmed rather than active.
Researcher notes
Evidence is concise: CVE description, CVSS vector, CWE-755, Intel advisory, and NetApp advisory. The bundle does not include affected model lists, fixed firmware versions, exploit details, or proof of exploitation. Validation should focus on authoritative vendor mapping, not assumptions.
Mitigation direction
- Review Intel SA-00601 for affected processor and firmware details.
- Check OEM or platform vendor BIOS updates for affected systems.
- Review NetApp advisory if NetApp products are in scope.
- Prioritize firmware remediation on shared, high-value, or multi-user systems.
- Use vendor guidance if no direct patch is listed for a platform.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Intel-based systems and record BIOS firmware versions.
- Map hardware models against Intel SA-00601 and OEM advisories.
- Check NetApp exposure if NetApp appliances or software are deployed.
- Confirm whether local low-privileged users can access affected systems.
- Document exceptions where vendor firmware is unavailable.
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-755: 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-2021-0190 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 Handling of Exceptional Conditions
Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.