CVE-2025-33029: Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-33029 is a denial of service flaw in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows caused by an out-of-bounds write. Attackers can disrupt system availability via adjacent network access. This article covers technical details, affected versions, impact assessment, and mitigation strategies.

CVE-2025-33029 Overview

CVE-2025-33029 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows before version 23.160. The flaw resides in Ring 2 device drivers and can be triggered by an unprivileged, unauthenticated adversary on an adjacent network. Successful exploitation results in denial of service against the affected system. The vulnerability requires no user interaction and has low attack complexity. Intel disclosed the issue in security advisory SA-01398.

Critical Impact
An unauthenticated attacker within wireless range can trigger an out-of-bounds write in the WiFi driver, causing a denial of service condition that disrupts system availability.

Affected Products

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows versions prior to 23.160
Intel WiFi device drivers operating in Ring 2 on Windows hosts
Systems shipped with bundled Intel wireless driver packages predating the November 2025 update

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-11 - CVE-2025-33029 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2025-11-11 - Intel publishes Security Advisory SA-01398
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-33029

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write [CWE-787] within the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi driver stack. Device drivers execute in Ring 2 privilege context, meaning a memory corruption fault in the driver can destabilize the kernel-adjacent execution path. The flaw permits a write beyond the bounds of an allocated buffer, corrupting adjacent memory structures.

The corruption does not yield code execution or data disclosure. Intel's advisory limits the impact to availability, with confidentiality and integrity unaffected. The result is a denial of service condition, typically manifesting as a driver crash, system hang, or bug check on the target host.

EPSS data places exploitation probability at 0.171% with a percentile of 6.654, and no public proof-of-concept code is currently available.

Root Cause

The driver fails to validate the size or offset of attacker-influenced input before writing to a memory region. When malformed wireless frames or driver inputs reach the vulnerable code path, the write operation exceeds the destination buffer boundary. This corrupts neighboring memory and forces the driver into an unrecoverable state.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is adjacent network access, meaning the adversary must be within wireless transmission range of the target. No authentication or user interaction is required. An attacker crafts malicious wireless frames that the vulnerable PROSet/Wireless driver parses, triggering the out-of-bounds write. The driver crash propagates to system-wide unavailability on the affected Windows host. Detailed technical information is available in the Intel Security Advisory SA-01398.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-33029

Indicators of Compromise

Repeated Windows bug checks or stop errors referencing Intel wireless driver modules such as Netwtw*.sys
Sudden loss of wireless connectivity followed by driver restart events in the System event log
Crash dump files in %SystemRoot%\Minidump\ containing stack frames within Intel PROSet/Wireless components

Detection Strategies

Inventory endpoints running Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software and flag installations with versions below 23.160
Correlate WHEA-Logger and Kernel-Power events with wireless driver crashes to identify potential exploitation attempts
Monitor for clusters of WiFi driver faults across multiple endpoints in the same physical area, indicating possible RF-based attack activity

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward Windows Event Log channels including Microsoft-Windows-WLAN-AutoConfig/Operational and System log Event IDs 41 and 1001 to a centralized logging platform
Track driver version telemetry across managed endpoints to confirm patch deployment status
Alert on abnormal frequency of wireless adapter resets or driver restarts on individual hosts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-33029

Immediate Actions Required

Update Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software to version 23.160 or later on all affected Windows systems
Identify exposed endpoints in high-risk physical environments such as conference areas, public spaces, and shared offices
Validate that endpoint management tooling distributes the updated driver package to all managed devices

Patch Information

Intel released a fixed version of PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows in version 23.160. Customers should obtain the updated driver package directly from Intel or through their OEM update channel. Refer to the Intel Security Advisory SA-01398 for download links and version-specific guidance.

Workarounds

Disable the Intel wireless adapter on systems that cannot be patched immediately and rely on wired connectivity
Restrict use of affected laptops in untrusted RF environments until the driver update is applied
Apply OEM-supplied driver bundles that incorporate the Intel fix for managed device fleets

bash

# Verify installed Intel PROSet/Wireless driver version on Windows
Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object {$_.InterfaceDescription -like "*Intel*Wireless*"} | \
  Select-Object Name, InterfaceDescription, DriverVersion, DriverDate

# Disable the wireless adapter as a temporary workaround
Disable-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi" -Confirm:$false