CVE-2021-33113
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi drivers allows unauthenticated attackers on the same network to potentially cause denial of service or information disclosure through improper input validation. It affects multiple operating systems including Windows 10 and 11. Attackers must be within wireless range of the target device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software
- Intel Killer WiFi software
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system crash or kernel panic leading to persistent denial of service, plus potential memory disclosure revealing sensitive system information.
Likely Case
Temporary WiFi disconnection or system instability requiring reboot, with possible limited information leakage about system state.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and updated drivers, potentially just failed connection attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted packets to vulnerable WiFi adapters. No authentication needed, but attacker must be within wireless range.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Intel driver versions 22.40.0 and later for Windows, various Linux driver updates
Vendor Advisory: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00582.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest Intel WiFi driver from Intel website or Windows Update. 2. Run installer with administrative privileges. 3. Restart system when prompted. 4. Verify driver version in Device Manager.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WiFi when not needed
windowsTurn off WiFi adapter when not actively using wireless connectivity
netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable
Use wired Ethernet
allSwitch to wired network connection to avoid wireless attack surface
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate WiFi networks from critical systems
- Deploy wireless intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WiFi driver version in Device Manager (Windows) or 'lspci -v' output (Linux) and compare against patched versionsCheck Version:
Windows: wmic path win32_pnpentity where "name like '%wireless%'" get name, driverversion | Linux: modinfo iwlwifi | grep versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm driver version is 22.40.0 or later for Windows, or check with 'iwconfig' and driver version commands on Linux📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected WiFi disconnections
- Driver crash events in system logs
- Multiple failed connection attempts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual WiFi management frame patterns
- Malformed 802.11 packets targeting Intel adapters
SIEM Query:
EventID=1001 OR EventID=1000 Source="Intel Wireless" OR "WiFi driver crash"