LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2021-33117: Improper access control for some 3rd Generation Intel(R) Xeon(R) Scalable Processors before BIOS version MR...

Improper access control for some 3rd Generation Intel(R) Xeon(R) Scalable Processors before BIOS version MR7, may allow a local attacker to potentially enable information disclosure via local access.

MediumCVSS 5.5Not KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-33117 is a medium-severity information disclosure issue in some 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors before BIOS MR7. It requires local access and low privileges, so the main business concern is shared, multi-user, hosted, or sensitive server environments where exposed data could matter.

Executive priority

Treat as a targeted firmware hygiene issue, not an emergency internet-facing incident. Prioritize confirmation and BIOS remediation on sensitive shared infrastructure and vendor-managed appliances.

Technical view

The CVE describes improper access control affecting some 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processor platforms before BIOS MR7. CVSS 3.1 is 5.5: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high confidentiality impact, and no integrity or availability impact.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to systems using affected 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors with BIOS earlier than MR7. Exact platform impact depends on OEM or vendor firmware guidance.

Exploitation context

The provided bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The attack requires local access, which lowers internet-scale risk but matters on shared servers, appliances, and environments with untrusted local users.

Researcher notes

Evidence identifies confidentiality-only impact and a local, low-privilege prerequisite. Public details in the bundle are limited; rely on Intel and affected platform vendors for exact models, BIOS packages, and operational update constraints.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory systems with 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors.
  • Check Intel SA-00586 and OEM firmware guidance for applicability.
  • Update affected platforms to BIOS MR7 or vendor-confirmed fixed firmware.
  • Prioritize shared, hosted, and sensitive workload servers.
  • Review NetApp advisory if NetApp systems are present.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm processor generation and current BIOS version on each system.
  • Compare platform firmware against Intel SA-00586 and OEM advisories.
  • Verify BIOS MR7 or vendor-fixed firmware is installed where applicable.
  • Document unaffected systems and unresolved vendor dependencies.
  • Track exceptions for shared or sensitive local-user environments.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2021-33117 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Official CVE source material

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.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We 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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
5.5CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N1.83.6Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

5.5Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2021-33117Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/aIntel(R) Xeon(R) Scalable ProcessorsSee referencesListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.