CVE-2020-12297: Intel CSME Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2020-12297 Overview

CVE-2020-12297 is an improper access control vulnerability affecting the installer for Intel Converged Security and Manageability Engine (CSME) Driver for Windows. This flaw exists in multiple versions of the CSME firmware and Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE), allowing an authenticated user to potentially escalate privileges through local access.

The vulnerability stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the installer component, which fails to properly restrict access to privileged operations during the installation process. An attacker with local access and low-level privileges could exploit this weakness to gain elevated permissions on the affected system.

Critical Impact

Authenticated local attackers can escalate privileges to gain complete control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system through improper access control in the Intel CSME driver installer.

Affected Products

• Intel Converged Security and Manageability Engine (CSME) versions before 11.8.80, 11.12.80, 11.22.80, 12.0.70, 13.0.40, 13.30.10, 14.0.45, and 14.5.25
• Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) version 3.1.80
• Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) version 4.0.30

Discovery Timeline

• November 12, 2020 - CVE-2020-12297 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-12297

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exists within the installer component of Intel's Converged Security and Manageability Engine (CSME) driver for Windows. The CSME is a critical security subsystem embedded in Intel chipsets that provides hardware-based security features including remote management, system integrity verification, and secure boot capabilities.

The improper access control flaw allows an authenticated local user to bypass security restrictions during the installation process. When successfully exploited, an attacker can elevate their privileges from a standard user account to gain complete control over the system. The vulnerability requires local access to the target machine, meaning the attacker must either have physical access or have already established a foothold through another vector such as malware or social engineering.

The impact of successful exploitation is severe, as it compromises all three pillars of the CIA triad—confidentiality, integrity, and availability—of the affected system. Given that CSME operates at a firmware level below the operating system, privilege escalation at this level could provide attackers with persistent and stealthy access that survives OS reinstallations.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2020-12297 is improper access control implementation within the CSME driver installer for Windows. The installer fails to adequately validate permissions and restrict access to privileged operations during the installation workflow. This allows authenticated users with lower privilege levels to access functionality that should be restricted to administrators or system-level processes.

The vulnerability affects the installation component rather than the running CSME firmware itself, which means the attack surface is present during driver installation or update operations on affected systems.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2020-12297 is local access. An attacker must have an authenticated session on the target system to exploit this vulnerability. The attack complexity is low, requiring no user interaction beyond the attacker's own actions.

The exploitation scenario involves an authenticated local user leveraging the improper access control in the installer to perform privileged operations. This could occur during a driver installation or update process, where the attacker manipulates the installer's execution flow to gain elevated privileges.

Since no verified exploitation code is publicly available, the vulnerability mechanism operates through the installer's failure to properly enforce access boundaries between different privilege levels. Attackers could potentially abuse legitimate installer functionality to execute operations with elevated permissions. For detailed technical information, refer to the Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-00391.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-12297

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected privilege escalation events on systems running vulnerable Intel CSME driver versions
• Anomalous installation or update activity related to Intel ME/CSME components
• Unauthorized modifications to system-level configurations or security settings
• Suspicious local user activity patterns preceding privilege elevation

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Windows Event Logs for privilege escalation events (Event ID 4672 - Special privileges assigned to new logon)
• Implement endpoint detection rules for unusual Intel ME/CSME installer executions
• Track process creation chains involving Intel driver installation components
• Audit local user account activities for unauthorized administrative actions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed audit logging for driver installation events on Windows systems
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for privilege escalation attempts
• Maintain an inventory of Intel CSME firmware versions across the enterprise environment
• Configure alerts for installation activities involving Intel Management Engine components

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-12297

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all systems running vulnerable versions of Intel CSME driver and Intel TXE
• Prioritize patching systems with elevated exposure or containing sensitive data
• Restrict local access to systems where patching cannot be immediately applied
• Review and audit recent installation activities on potentially affected systems

Patch Information

Intel has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should update to the following patched versions:

• Intel CSME: 11.8.80, 11.12.80, 11.22.80, 12.0.70, 13.0.40, 13.30.10, 14.0.45, 14.5.25 or later
• Intel TXE: versions newer than 3.1.80 and 4.0.30

Detailed patch information and download links are available in the Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-00391. Additional guidance is available from NetApp Security Advisory NTAP-20201113-0002 and NetApp Security Advisory NTAP-20201113-0005.

Workarounds

• Restrict local login access to affected systems to trusted administrators only
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution of Intel driver installers
• Apply principle of least privilege to limit the number of authenticated users on affected systems
• Monitor and audit all driver installation activities until patches can be applied

# Verify Intel CSME version on Windows systems
# Run in elevated PowerShell to check ME firmware version
Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\CIMV2 -Class Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SMBIOSBIOSVersion
# Check Intel Management Engine Interface driver version
Get-WmiObject Win32_PnPSignedDriver | Where-Object {$_.DeviceName -like "*Intel*Management*Engine*"} | Select-Object DeviceName, DriverVersion