CVE-2025-20618: Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Buffer Overflow

CVE-2025-20618 Overview

CVE-2025-20618 is a stack-based buffer overflow [CWE-121] affecting Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows before version 23.100. A privileged user with local access can trigger the overflow to cause a denial of service on the affected system. The flaw impacts a broad range of Intel Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 adapters that ship with the vulnerable driver stack. Intel disclosed the issue in advisory Intel-SA-01270 and released updated software to remediate it.

Critical Impact
A local privileged user can corrupt stack memory in the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi driver stack and cause a denial of service on Windows endpoints running the vulnerable software.

Affected Products

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows before version 23.100
Intel Wi-Fi 6 adapters: AX101, AX200, AX201, AX203
Intel Wi-Fi 6E adapters (AX210, AX211) and Wi-Fi 7 adapters (BE200, BE201, BE202)

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-13 - CVE-2025-20618 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-20618

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a stack-based buffer overflow in the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows. When the vulnerable component processes input from a locally authenticated privileged user, insufficient bounds validation allows data to be written past the end of a fixed-size stack buffer. The overflow corrupts adjacent stack memory, including saved return addresses and control-flow structures maintained by the driver stack.

Successful exploitation results in a denial of service, typically manifesting as a crash of the wireless service or a bug check on the host. Because the affected component runs with elevated privileges on Windows, the resulting instability disrupts wireless connectivity across the endpoint. The vulnerability requires local access and high privileges, which limits remote reach but keeps it relevant for post-compromise scenarios and insider misuse.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or incorrect length validation before copying user-controlled data into a stack-allocated buffer in the PROSet/Wireless WiFi software. The classic [CWE-121] pattern applies: an unchecked size or count parameter allows the write operation to exceed the declared buffer boundary and overwrite adjacent stack frames.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local. An attacker must already hold high privileges on the target Windows host to reach the vulnerable code path in the PROSet/Wireless WiFi software. From that position, the attacker supplies malformed input to the affected component to trigger the overflow and force the wireless subsystem into a denial-of-service state. No user interaction is required. No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or reports of exploitation in the wild are available at this time.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-20618

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes of Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi services or associated user-mode components on Windows hosts.
Windows bug checks or WER (Windows Error Reporting) entries referencing Intel wireless driver modules.
Repeated wireless adapter resets, loss of connectivity, or driver reload events on endpoints running vulnerable versions.

Detection Strategies

Inventory endpoints for Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software versions earlier than 23.100 and flag them as vulnerable.
Correlate Windows Application and System event logs for faulting modules tied to Intel wireless drivers with local privileged process activity.
Alert on privileged local processes interacting with Intel wireless driver interfaces immediately before service crashes.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest Windows crash telemetry and driver fault events into your SIEM or data lake for longitudinal analysis.
Track version drift for the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi package across the fleet after patch deployment.
Monitor administrative and SYSTEM-context process launches that immediately precede wireless subsystem failures.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-20618

Immediate Actions Required

Update Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows to version 23.100 or later on all affected endpoints.
Identify systems running the affected Intel Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 adapters and prioritize them for patching.
Restrict local administrative privileges to reduce the population of users who can reach the vulnerable code path.

Patch Information

Intel released fixed software in the PROSet/Wireless WiFi package version 23.100. Refer to Intel Security Advisory SA-01270 for the authoritative list of affected products, fixed versions, and download links. Deploy the update through your standard endpoint management workflow and confirm the installed version on each host after rollout.

Workarounds

No vendor-supplied workaround is documented; apply the update from Intel-SA-01270 as the primary remediation.
Where patching is delayed, enforce least privilege so that non-administrative users cannot reach the affected driver interfaces.
On systems that do not require wireless connectivity, disable the Intel wireless adapter until the update is applied.