CVE-2021-0161 Privilege escalation in Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi in multiple operating systems and Killer(TM) Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11

Medium 6.7 Published 9 Feb 2022 Updated 5 May 2025

A privileged local attacker can exploit improper input validation in Intel and Killer Wi-Fi firmware to escalate privileges.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: An administrator
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2021-0161?

CVE-2021-0161 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi in multiple operating systems and Killer(TM) Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11, published on 9 Feb 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

Improper input validation in firmware for Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi in multiple operating systems and Killer(TM) Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

Weakness: CWE-20

Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-0161?

It affects 22 products.

Products include Intel Amt Ac 8260 Firmware, Intel Amt Ac 8265 Firmware, Intel Amt Ac 9260 Firmware, Intel Amt Ac 9560 Firmware, Intel Amt Wi-Fi 6 Ax200 Firmware, Intel Amt Wi-Fi 6 Ax201 Firmware and 16 more.

How do I fix CVE-2021-0161?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2021-0161 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-0161 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-qv9r-2vjx-2c6q, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-0161.