Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in Intel Ethernet adapter manageability firmware can let an already highly privileged local user raise impact against the system. This is not described as a remote internet attack. Business urgency is highest for systems where these adapters support critical operations or where administrator accounts are broadly available.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority for affected hardware, especially critical systems. It is not presented as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, but privileged local escalation against network hardware firmware can still create serious operational and integrity risk.
Technical view
CVE-2021-33145 is a CWE-248 uncaught exception in Intel Ethernet Adapters and Intel Ethernet Controller I225 manageability firmware. CVSS 3.1 is 7.2: local attack vector, high complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, changed scope, and high integrity and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems with affected Intel Ethernet Adapters or Intel Ethernet Controller I225 manageability firmware. The bundle does not name exact affected versions, so teams must validate against Intel advisory INTEL-SA-00756 and any applicable OEM guidance.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or any cited active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates local access and high privileges are required, making this more relevant after privileged account compromise or insider misuse than initial remote intrusion.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse in the provided bundle: exact affected versions and fix details are deferred to Intel’s advisory. The key constraints are AV:L, AC:H, PR:H, UI:N, S:C, with integrity and availability impact but no confidentiality impact recorded.
Mitigation direction
- Review Intel advisory INTEL-SA-00756 for affected versions and vendor remediation.
- Inventory systems using Intel Ethernet Adapters or Intel Ethernet Controller I225 firmware.
- Apply Intel or OEM firmware updates where the advisory identifies exposure.
- Restrict local administrator privileges on systems with affected hardware.
- Track exceptions where firmware cannot be updated immediately.
Validation and detection
- Identify adapter models and manageability firmware versions on in-scope assets.
- Compare discovered versions with Intel advisory INTEL-SA-00756.
- Confirm whether vendor or OEM firmware remediation has been applied.
- Prioritize validation on critical servers and administrator workstations.
- Record compensating controls for systems awaiting firmware updates.
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-248: 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-2021-33145 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
- 7.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/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:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H0.85.8Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.2HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
Source materials
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.
Uncaught Exception
Uncaught Exception represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.