CVE-2025-36522 in Chipset Software
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2026
Incorrect default permissions for some Intel(R) Chipset Software before version 10.1.20266.8668 or later. within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires active user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2026
This vulnerability affects Intel chipset software versions prior to 10.1.20266.8668 and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within user-mode applications. The issue stems from improper default permissions that allow authenticated users to elevate their privileges without requiring additional system-level access. Attackers with legitimate user accounts can exploit this weakness to gain higher-level system permissions, potentially compromising the entire computing environment. The vulnerability operates at Ring 3 level, meaning it targets user applications rather than kernel-level components, yet the privilege escalation impact remains severe.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves inadequate access control mechanisms within the chipset software components that manage hardware resources and system configuration parameters. When a user application attempts to interact with chipset management functions, the system fails to properly validate permission levels, allowing unauthorized elevation. This misconfiguration creates a persistent security gap that can be exploited through local access methods, requiring only user authentication and active interaction from the victim. The attack complexity is classified as high, indicating that while the exploit requires specific conditions, it does not necessitate specialized knowledge or advanced techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across all three fundamental security principles. Confidentiality is severely compromised as attackers can access protected system information and data that should remain restricted to privileged users. Integrity suffers significantly since malicious actors can modify system configurations and critical components that control hardware behavior. Availability is also at risk as the vulnerability could potentially disrupt normal system operations or enable denial-of-service conditions through unauthorized modifications. The potential consequences include complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor access that could remain undetected for extended periods.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local system exploitation. The weakness maps to CWE-276 which describes improper default permissions, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users share systems. Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch version 10.1.20266.8668 or later to address the issue. System administrators should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement monitoring for unusual privilege escalation activities. Additional mitigations include restricting user account privileges, implementing application whitelisting, and conducting regular security audits to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in system software and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of chipset management components.