CVE-2021-0169 Privilege escalation in Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11

Medium 6.7 Published 9 Feb 2022 Updated 5 May 2025

A local privileged user can escalate privileges via an uncontrolled search path in Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi software on Windows.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: An administrator
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2021-0169?

CVE-2021-0169 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless 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

Uncontrolled Search Path Element in software for Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi in Windows 10 and 11 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

Weakness: CWE-427

Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-0169?

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-2021-0169?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-0169 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2021-0169 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-0169 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-9cp5-pv5q-cjr3.