CVE-2021-0162
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless and Killer Wi-Fi software allows an unauthenticated attacker on the same network to potentially escalate privileges on affected Windows systems. It affects Windows 10 and 11 users with vulnerable Intel Wi-Fi drivers. The attacker must be within wireless range of the target device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi software
- Intel Killer Wi-Fi software
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing installation of malware, data theft, and persistence on the device.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation to SYSTEM or admin level, enabling further attacks on the compromised machine.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if network segmentation prevents adjacent access or if vulnerable drivers are not present.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires adjacent network access but no authentication. The CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) suggests straightforward exploitation once the attack vector is identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Intel driver updates released in 2021 (specific versions vary by adapter model)
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00539.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit Intel's driver download page. 2. Identify your Wi-Fi adapter model. 3. Download and install the latest driver. 4. Alternatively, use Windows Update to get driver updates. 5. Restart the system after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable Wi-Fi adapter
windowsTemporarily disable the Intel Wi-Fi adapter to prevent exploitation
netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable
Use wired connection only
windowsDisable wireless and use Ethernet connection to eliminate attack vector
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment wireless networks to limit adjacent access
- Implement network monitoring for suspicious Wi-Fi driver activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Intel Wi-Fi driver version in Device Manager > Network adapters > Intel Wi-Fi adapter > Driver tabCheck Version:
wmic path win32_pnpsigneddriver where "devicename like '%intel%wi-fi%'" get devicename, driverversionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify driver version is updated to post-2021 release and check Windows Update history for Intel driver updates📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
- Suspicious Wi-Fi driver process activity
- Windows Security Event ID 4688 for new high-privilege processes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual Wi-Fi management frames from adjacent devices
- Suspicious network traffic following Wi-Fi driver interaction
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND (ProcessName="*wlan*" OR ProcessName="*intel*wi-fi*") AND NewProcessName="*cmd*" OR NewProcessName="*powershell*")