CVE-2025-24851: Intel E810 Ethernet Controller DoS Flaw

CVE-2025-24851 Overview

CVE-2025-24851 is an uncaught exception vulnerability in the firmware for some 100GbE Intel Ethernet Controller E810 devices running firmware versions prior to cvl fw 1.7.8.x. This firmware-level vulnerability allows a privileged local attacker to cause a denial of service condition on affected systems.

The vulnerability exists within Ring 0 (Bare Metal OS) operations, where improper exception handling in the network controller firmware can be exploited to disrupt system availability. Organizations utilizing Intel E810 100GbE network controllers in data centers, high-performance computing environments, or enterprise networks should prioritize firmware updates.

Critical Impact

A privileged local attacker can exploit this firmware vulnerability to cause denial of service, potentially disrupting critical network operations in enterprise and data center environments.

Affected Products

• Intel Ethernet Controller E810 (100GbE) with firmware versions prior to cvl fw 1.7.8.x
• Systems utilizing Intel E810-based network interface cards in bare metal configurations
• Server and data center infrastructure with affected Intel 100GbE network controllers

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-10 - CVE-2025-24851 published to NVD
• 2026-02-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24851

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-248 (Uncaught Exception), indicating that the firmware fails to properly handle certain exceptional conditions during operation. The flaw resides in the firmware's exception handling mechanism within Ring 0 operations, which runs at the highest privilege level on bare metal systems.

When triggered, the uncaught exception causes the network controller to enter an unrecoverable state, resulting in loss of network connectivity. The attack requires local access and high privileges, but once these prerequisites are met, exploitation is straightforward with no additional attack requirements or user interaction needed.

The impact is limited to availability—the vulnerability does not allow for data exfiltration or integrity compromise. However, in environments dependent on 100GbE connectivity for critical operations, a denial of service condition can have significant operational consequences.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper exception handling within the Intel E810 firmware. Specific firmware code paths fail to catch and gracefully handle exceptional conditions that can occur during network controller operations. When these unhandled exceptions propagate through Ring 0 code, they trigger a denial of service condition rather than being contained and logged appropriately.

This type of vulnerability typically arises from incomplete error handling during firmware development, where certain edge cases or malformed inputs are not anticipated by exception handling routines.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have privileged access to the system hosting the vulnerable Intel E810 network controller. A system software adversary with high privileges can trigger the uncaught exception through specific operations that cause the firmware to enter an unhandled state.

The attack does not require user interaction or special internal knowledge of the firmware implementation. Once local privileged access is obtained, the attack can be executed with low complexity, making it accessible to attackers who have already established a foothold on the target system.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24851

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected network controller resets or failures on systems with Intel E810 100GbE adapters
• System logs showing network interface unavailability without apparent network infrastructure issues
• Firmware crash indicators in hardware diagnostic logs
• Repeated NIC driver reinitialization events following privileged user activity

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system and hardware event logs for Intel E810 firmware exceptions or unexpected controller resets
• Implement endpoint detection rules to alert on patterns of NIC failure following privileged command execution
• Deploy SentinelOne agents to detect suspicious privileged activity targeting network hardware components
• Audit privileged user access patterns on systems with vulnerable firmware versions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for network controller events and firmware status
• Configure alerts for any Intel E810 controller crashes or unexpected restarts
• Monitor privileged user sessions on systems with vulnerable network hardware
• Implement network availability monitoring to detect DoS conditions early

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24851

Immediate Actions Required

• Inventory all systems with Intel Ethernet Controller E810 devices and verify current firmware versions
• Prioritize firmware updates for systems running versions prior to cvl fw 1.7.8.x
• Restrict local privileged access to systems with vulnerable firmware until patches are applied
• Implement monitoring for anomalous network controller behavior on affected systems

Patch Information

Intel has released firmware version cvl fw 1.7.8.x to address this vulnerability. Organizations should obtain the updated firmware from Intel and apply it to all affected Intel E810 100GbE Ethernet Controller devices. Refer to the Intel Security Advisory SA-01171 for detailed patching instructions and firmware download links.

Firmware updates for network controllers typically require system downtime and may need to be coordinated with maintenance windows to minimize operational impact.

Workarounds

• Limit local privileged access to systems with vulnerable Intel E810 controllers to trusted administrators only
• Implement network redundancy to mitigate the impact of potential DoS conditions on individual controllers
• Monitor and alert on privileged user activity on systems with affected firmware
• Consider temporary isolation of critical workloads from systems with unpatched firmware until updates can be applied