CVE-2025-20006
📋 TL;DR
A use-after-free vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows allows an unauthenticated attacker on the same network to potentially cause denial of service. This affects Windows systems with vulnerable Intel WiFi drivers before version 23.100.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system crash or kernel panic requiring physical reboot, potentially disrupting critical operations.
Likely Case
WiFi connectivity loss, system instability, or application crashes affecting network-dependent services.
If Mitigated
Limited to temporary WiFi disruption if proper network segmentation and access controls are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires adjacent network access and knowledge of vulnerable systems. No authentication needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 23.100 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01270.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Driver & Support Assistant or visit Intel Download Center. 2. Check for WiFi driver updates. 3. Install version 23.100 or newer. 4. Restart system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate vulnerable systems on separate VLANs or network segments
Disable WiFi
windowsTemporarily disable WiFi and use wired Ethernet if possible
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=disallow
netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit adjacent device communication
- Monitor for unusual WiFi driver crashes or system instability events
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Device Manager > Network adapters > Intel WiFi adapter > Driver tab for version numberCheck Version:
wmic path win32_pnpsigneddriver where "DeviceName like '%Intel%Wi-Fi%'" get DeviceName, DriverVersionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm driver version is 23.100 or higher in Device Manager📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- System event logs showing WiFi driver crashes (Event ID 1001)
- Unexpected system reboots
- Network connectivity loss events
Network Indicators:
- Unusual broadcast/multicast traffic targeting WiFi management frames
- ARP spoofing attempts on local network
SIEM Query:
EventID=1001 AND Source="Windows Error Reporting" AND Description="*Intel*WiFi*"