CVE-2025-35990: Intel EMA Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-35990 Overview

CVE-2025-35990 is an improper input validation vulnerability [CWE-20] affecting Intel Endpoint Management Assistant (EMA) software versions before 1.14.5. The flaw resides within Ring 3 user-mode application code and may allow an escalation of privilege. An unauthenticated, unprivileged attacker can exploit the issue over an adjacent network without user interaction. Successful exploitation impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the vulnerable system. Intel published the issue in security advisory SA-01434 and addressed it in EMA 1.14.5.

Critical Impact

An adjacent network attacker without credentials can escalate privileges on systems running vulnerable Intel EMA software, gaining high-level access to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host.

Affected Products

• Intel Endpoint Management Assistant (EMA) software versions prior to 1.14.5
• Systems running EMA agent components within Ring 3 user applications
• Endpoint management deployments using Intel EMA for remote device management

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-05-12 - CVE-2025-35990 published to NVD
• 2026-05-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-35990

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper input validation in Intel EMA components operating in Ring 3 (user mode). Intel EMA is a management console that provides remote configuration and monitoring of Intel vPro and Active Management Technology (AMT) endpoints. When EMA processes input from adjacent network sources without proper validation, an attacker can craft malicious requests that trigger privilege escalation. The flaw maps to [CWE-20] Improper Input Validation. According to the advisory, exploitation requires low attack complexity and no special internal knowledge of the target. The impact is confined to the vulnerable component itself with no subsequent system impact propagation. The Intel Security Advisory SA-01434 confirms remediation in EMA version 1.14.5.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient validation of input data processed by EMA user-mode application code. Without enforced boundary and type checks, malformed inputs reach privileged code paths. This allows untrusted data to influence security-sensitive operations and elevate the attacker's effective permissions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is adjacent network access, meaning the attacker must reside on the same logical network segment (such as the same VLAN or broadcast domain) as the target. No authentication is required and no user interaction is needed. The attacker sends crafted input to the EMA service to trigger privilege escalation against the host.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is available at the time of publication. Technical exploitation details are restricted to the Intel Security Advisory SA-01434.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-35990

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected privilege escalation events originating from Intel EMA service processes
• Unusual inbound connections to EMA management ports from adjacent hosts that are not authorized management consoles
• Anomalous child processes spawned by EMA agent binaries running with elevated privileges

Detection Strategies

• Inventory all endpoints running Intel EMA and verify installed versions against 1.14.5
• Monitor EMA process behavior for unexpected token elevation or new privileged threads
• Correlate EMA service network traffic with expected management console origins and alert on deviations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable host-based logging for EMA service start, stop, and configuration changes
• Capture network telemetry on EMA listener ports and baseline normal connection patterns
• Forward EMA application logs to a central SIEM for retention and correlation with endpoint telemetry

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-35990

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Intel EMA to version 1.14.5 or later on all management servers and managed endpoints
• Restrict network access to EMA service ports to authorized management subnets using firewall and VLAN segmentation
• Audit administrative accounts on EMA-managed hosts and rotate credentials if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

Intel released the fix in Endpoint Management Assistant version 1.14.5. Administrators should download the patched release from Intel and follow the upgrade guidance in Intel Security Advisory SA-01434.

Workarounds

• Isolate EMA components on dedicated management VLANs with strict access control lists until patching completes
• Disable the EMA service on hosts where remote management is not actively required
• Implement network access control to block unauthorized adjacent devices from reaching EMA listeners