CVE-2020-8754
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-8754 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) and Intel Standard Manageability (ISM) subsystems. It allows unauthenticated attackers to potentially read sensitive information from memory via network access. Organizations using affected Intel vPro platforms with AMT/ISM enabled are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel Active Management Technology (AMT)
- Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)
📦 What is this software?
Active Management Technology Firmware by Intel
View all CVEs affecting Active Management Technology Firmware →
Active Management Technology Firmware by Intel
View all CVEs affecting Active Management Technology Firmware →
Active Management Technology Firmware by Intel
View all CVEs affecting Active Management Technology Firmware →
Active Management Technology Firmware by Intel
View all CVEs affecting Active Management Technology Firmware →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could read sensitive memory contents including credentials, encryption keys, or other system data, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of system memory contents, which could be leveraged for further attacks or to gather intelligence about the target system.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, the impact is limited to information disclosure within the segmented network zone.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to the AMT/ISM interface (typically TCP ports 16992-16995, 623, 664). No authentication is required.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 11.8.80, 11.12.80, 11.22.80, 12.0.70, or 14.0.45 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00391
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current AMT/ISM version using Intel Management Engine Interface (MEI) tools. 2. Download firmware update from Intel or OEM vendor. 3. Apply firmware update following vendor instructions. 4. Reboot system to complete installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable AMT/ISM
allDisable Intel AMT and ISM features in BIOS/UEFI settings
Network Segmentation
linuxBlock network access to AMT/ISM management ports
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 16992:16995 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 623 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 664 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to block all traffic to AMT/ISM ports (16992-16995, 623, 664) from untrusted networks
- Disable AMT/ISM features in BIOS/UEFI settings if not required for management
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AMT/ISM firmware version using Intel MEInfo tool or OEM management softwareCheck Version:
On Linux: sudo mei-amt-check; On Windows: Check in Intel Management Engine driver propertiesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version is 11.8.80, 11.12.80, 11.22.80, 12.0.70, or 14.0.45 or later📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected connections to AMT/ISM ports (16992-16995, 623, 664)
- Intel ME/AMT service errors or crashes
Network Indicators:
- Network scans targeting ports 16992-16995, 623, 664
- Unusual traffic patterns to AMT management interfaces
SIEM Query:
source_port=* AND (dest_port=16992 OR dest_port=16993 OR dest_port=16994 OR dest_port=16995 OR dest_port=623 OR dest_port=664)