# CVE-2021-33090: Privilege escalation in Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC10i3FN, NUC10i5FN, NUC10i7FN

> An authenticated local user can escalate privileges due to incorrect default permissions in the Intel NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool installer.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-73h7-vpgm-q573

## What is CVE-2021-33090?

CVE-2021-33090 is a high-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC10i3FN, NUC10i5FN, NUC10i7FN, published on 17 Nov 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Incorrect default permissionsin the software installer for the Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC10i3FN, NUC10i5FN, NUC10i7FN before version 1.78.2.0.7 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

Weakness: CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-33090?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Intel Nuc Hdmi Firmware Update Tool.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-33090?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-33090 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-33090 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-33090 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC10i3FN, NUC10i5FN, NUC10i7FN

- [CVE-2021-33089](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33089/): Privilege escalation in Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC8i3BE, NUC8i5BE, NUC8i7BE (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-21162](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-21162/): Privilege escalation in Intel(R) HDMI Firmware Update tool for NUC (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2022-40971](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40971/): Privilege escalation in Intel(R) HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC (medium 6.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-33090 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-33090 is a high-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC10i3FN, NUC10i5FN, NUC10i7FN, published on 17 Nov 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-33090 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Intel(R) NUC HDMI Firmware Update Tool for NUC10i3FN, NUC10i5FN, NUC10i7FN. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33090/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33090/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-33090
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-33090
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-33090

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33090/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.